


Mystery of Love (Blackbird on My Shoulder)

by ArinaKuga



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Post-Break Up, Romance, journey of healing, side-2yeon, side-chaeyu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:28:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 42,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22184116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArinaKuga/pseuds/ArinaKuga
Summary: Dahyun is a composer in need of a break from life since her world took a turn. After months of being stuck in her own head, she took the advice of friends to go on a solo vacation to the Greek island of Santorini where she meets Myoui Mina, the owner of the house she'll be staying at.In that tiny sanctuary that they created with one another, under divine eyes peering down from heaven, they made their vows.
Relationships: Kim Dahyun/Myoui Mina
Comments: 47
Kudos: 308





	1. Into the Unknown?

**Author's Note:**

> Hey ya'll, I am alive, mostly. This is one of my most ambitious fic yet, so I hope you guys enjoy this cause I do enjoy writing it.  
> [Her Piece](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQGcecbp1I)  
> [MoodBoard](https://twitter.com/anothingqueer/status/1217664658879893504?s=20)

She couldn’t stop her hands from moving. Pressing the keys in autopilot, the same piece that she had been playing for months now. The same piece that she created for _her._ It was a happy composition, with her heart and soul poured into it, but at the same time, it was the saddest thing she had ever played in her life. Even so, she still couldn’t stop herself.

_“I’m sorry, Dahyun. I can’t.”_

Her hands slammed against the keys, the loud distort echoed against the wall of her room. It had been months, but the memories never stopped playing. As if she was going through a living nightmare. 

Everyone kept pushing her to move, to create something new, to forget about _her_ but that's just the thing. She couldn't. Not yet. How could she when all she could play was _her_ piece. She slumped down, head pressed against the keys of her beloved piano, tainted with the memory of _her_ as well as the rest of her room.

_“Can I hear you play on it? Please, Dahyunnie.”_

She took in a shuddering breath, gritting her teeth to stop the tears from flowing. She’s so tired of that already. Suddenly her door burst open, but she knew who it was, already given the girl a spare key to her house.

“Dahyun, buddy. It’s dark as hell in here,” Chaeyoung chastised, moving towards the curtain to open it. The light spilled into her room, exposing her shame. She hissed at Chaeyoung, covering her face from the sun. She just _had_ to choose the room with the biggest window ever.

_“The view is beautiful, Dahyun.”_

“Jesus,” Chaeyoung murmured.

“Don’t.”

Chayeoung tsk-ed but didn’t push further. She started picking up the discarded clothes and chip bags littering the floor. Dahyun didn’t have the energy to stop her friend, head still laid on the piano while she watched her friend fluttering around the room. It was becoming a routine now, where Chaeyoung would come to her house once a week to check on her. She would clean up the place, offer advice and Dahyun would thank her, letting the advice fell on deaf ears.

Somehow today felt different. Chaeyoung wasn’t stomping around like she used to, wasn’t loud enough to the point that Dahyun had to physically cover her ears to block her voice out. She was quiet as she organized Dahyun’s clothes into a hamper, sighing whenever she picked up a can of empty beer to be thrown into the trash.

“Are you tired of me now Chaeyoung?” Dahyun asked, frozen in place when Chaeyoung whipped her head around to face her.

“Of you? Never,” then her eyes cast downward. “But sometimes it can be,” Chaeyoung answered truthfully and Dahyun admired this part of her friend. Frank about her feelings, something that she needed sometimes when her emotions blinded her. Even she was tired of this, she couldn't even imagine what Chaeyoung must’ve felt worrying about her.

She took a deep breath and got up from her seat, stripping out of her clothing, Chaeyoung gagging in the background. “I’m going to shower now.” She went ahead into the bathroom without letting Chaeyoung answering her. When she got out, a set of clothes were ready for her on the bed and at that moment, she felt grateful that she has a friend like Chaeyoung around.

After she finished getting dressed, she went out into the living room, sitting beside Chaeyoung on the sofa. The other girl had prepared her a meal and judging from the scent, it’s not the usual instant food smell. “You made this?” She asked, holding onto the bowl of rabboki to her face, smelling to make sure it's edible. Her stomach grumbled from the delicious scent.

“No, it was Tzuyu. She’s worried that you only eat junk food and beer. So, she made that for you.”

“Oh.” Guilt festered in Dahyun’s stomach. To have Tzuyu worried for her too doesn’t sit well with her. “She’s younger than me, but she’s the one taking care of me,” she sighed.

“Don’t do that. You’re not in a," she paused, "good state right now, so of course, we’ll take care of you.”

Dahyun puts down the bowl, appetite disappearing. “And you shouldn’t have to do that. Not for this long…I should’ve been better _sooner_ , but I'm not. Now I’m dragging everyone down with me,” she grunted. She felt Chaeyoung’s hand on her shoulder, coaxing her to turn. She turned and look straight at the other girl.

“Healing takes time Dahyun. Everyone’s journey is different.”

Dahyun felt less guilty, but guilty none the less. But what Chaeyoung said gave her a tiny semblance of peace. She was glad that Chaeyoung never stopped supporting her, but she wished it was enough to break her from this prison she had created. She breathed out, “okay. Thank you Chaeyoung.”

Chaeyoung just smiled at her, squeezing her shoulder and encouraging her to eat. Dahyun only managed to eat a few bites when her doorbell suddenly rang. She looked at Chaeyoung and the girl seemed to be ignoring it. Then it rang again that Dahyun had no choice but to get up and open the door. When she opened it, Jihyo was on the other side.

“Hey Hyun,” Jihyo greeted, smiling gently.

“Hey, Jihyo. I’ll have to face you sooner or later.” She let the other girl in, “come in, make yourself at home.”

She led her to the living room, Chaeyoung already on her feet looking nervous. Both sat on each side of the sofa, leaving her squeezed in the middle. Dahyun is not an idiot. It was clearly an intervention. But to have Jihyo in on this, Chaeyoung must’ve been desperate, and she doesn’t blame her.

“I’m pretty sure you know what’s about to happen?” Jihyo got down to business, as expected of her manager. She knew Jihyo from the start of her career, the older girl had done nothing but took care of her. Making sure she doesn’t get tangled in a scandal and organizing her schedule meticulously as to not overwhelmed her too much. She essentially owed her peaceful life to Jihyo.

“I do, sort of.” She turned her attention to Chaeyoung, “what’s your role in this?”

“The supportive best friend, of course.”

“Dahyun, I know you’re still… not in the game yet—”

“That’s one way to put it.” She interrupted but a look from Jihyo shuts her up.

“The company is pushing me right now Dahyun. They’re pushing me to push you into going to auditions or taking a job for _any_ kind of project really.” Jihyo explained. Then she held onto Dahyun’s hand, squeezing it.

“And I know you’re not okay yet and as your friend, I would love to give you space but as your manager, I just have to ask you, if you want to do _something_ ,” Jihyo asked softly.

Dahyun wanted to agree, to do _something_ as Jihyo said. But how can she when all she can think about is _her_. All she can play is the piece that she created for _her_. She has nothing, and that scared the fuck out of her.

“I’m sorry Jihyo, I don’t think I can.” She heard Jihyo sigh, probably disappointed, but then she was enveloped in a hug. She felt tears prickling her eyes, so she hid in Jihyo’s neck, trying hard not to break in front of her friends. “Every time I tried, I-I kept playing her piece over and over again. I’m so _tired_ unnie, but everywhere I look she’s there. In my bedroom, in the kitchen, at my _own_ piano. It hurts so much and I don’t know how to stop,” she shuddered out.

Jihyo hummed, rubbing Dahyun’s back to calm her. Chaeyoung held Dahyun’s hand, offering support. They stayed like that until Dahyun’s breathing calmed down. When she stopped trembling, Chaeyoung got up to make them tea, leaving her with Jihyo.

“I’m sorry for pushing you like that Dahyun. It’s okay if you don’t have a clue about what you want to do. I understand that.”

Dahyun shook her head, “don’t, it’s a part of your job and _I_ should be doing mine. But all I’m doing is let everyone down and giving the same excuse—”

“Do not say that Kim Dahyun. The most important thing for you to be doing right now is to heal. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, or how fast or slow it is. What matters is the effort that you put into it," Jihyo said with so much conviction.

Dahyun rubbed her tired eyes, smiling gratefully at Jihyo. Chaeyoung came back with tea and she sipped it slowly. The peach scent and flavor relaxed her for a little bit. She zoned out when the two girls started talking with each other, watching the tv. Ironically the show on screen is about lovers breaking up and she felt her stomach churned. Luckily before her anxiety could get ahold of her, it went to commercial.

It was a commercial about traveling. The camera panned to people walking on sandy beaches, then to white houses on cliffs and historical building scattering the Greek island. The beautiful blue ocean surrounding it looked shimmering and cool, enticing Dahyun to be curious at how it would feel like if she submerged herself into it.

“I have an idea,” Chaeyoung said, startling Dahyun out of her daydream. She was looking at the same thing as Dahyun, her head tilted to the side like a puppy.

“What is it?” Jihyo asked, scrolling through her phone most probably reading articles to keep up with the news.

Chaeyoung turned to face Dahyun, expression serious and it scared her a little bit. “Maybe what you need is a vacation.”

Dahyun blinked, confused, “Chaeyoung, me not doing anything is already a vacation. I can’t just—”

“No, listen here, this,” she gestured to the whole room, “is not a vacation. This is exile.”

Dahyun winced, finding truth in those words.

“You need to get out of here, and not just out of the apartment, but leaving the country type of deal. Cause I’m pretty sure you’re still gonna see her in your head two blocks down to the convenience store that you guys always go to.”

“I-, that’s not how-, okay, yeah you’re probably right,” Dahyun spluttered out. Her head was still not catching up to the information so she sneaked a glance at Jihyo and was surprised at how serious she looked. Maybe she’s going to reject the proposition.

“Chayeoung’s right.”

Dahyun whipped her head towards her manager. She thought the company wanted her to come back to work as soon as possible.

“You have a place in mind?” Jihyo asked, setting her phone aside.

“I’m thinking of the place in the commercial.”

“Santorini? That could be a good place to relax.”

“I have a friend there—”

“Stop talking like I’m not here! Can we just take a second to process this?” Dahyun broke them off. Overwhelmed by the amount of _everything_ going on right now. “Do I have a say in this?”

“Of course!” They answered her simultaneously.

“Right… so you guys want me to go on a vacation?” They both nodded. “With you guys?” They look between each other, confused. The realization sinking in for the three of them.

Jihyo started first, “I don’t think I can because of schedules and everything,” she explained apologetically.

“Me and Tzuyu are actually saving up for another vacation, so, sorry dubs,” Chaeyoung said remorsefully.

“So, what I’m getting here is that I should go on a vacation—alone might I add—to a foreign country that I do not speak the language of—”

“You know how to speak English,” Chaeyoung pointed out.

“Not the point Chaeyoung. I don’t know if this is actually a good idea or not,” Dahyun tried to explain.

“I think it is though,” Jihyo countered. “Dahyun when was the last time you had a proper vacation from work? And holidays don’t count.”

Dahyun racked her brain for an answer, but Jihyo interrupted her. “None, because you never had a proper vacation at all. I know that because I’m your manager.” Dahyun felt a smidge annoyed by that because ‘why ask in the first place?’

“This is a good time as any to ask for that vacation because you earned it. And as your manager, I’m going to fight the company for it— _if_ you want it.”

Dahyun nodded, feeling herself agreeing to this crazy idea because she finally has a minute to process this. Then she remembered something Chaeyoung had said moments ago.

“You said that you have a friend there? I didn’t even know you had any,” Dahyun asked, earning a shove from Chaeyoung for the unexpected jab.

“You’re literally my friend and yes I do have a friend living there. Her name is Mina and she’s Japanese—”

“I can’t speak Japanese.”

“ _Shut_ _it_ and _listen_. She studied here throughout college and we did a project together. We’ve been friends since then, but usually online because she moved to Santorini like 3 years ago for a job.”

“Do you guys still talk to each other?” Jihyo was the one to ask.

Chaeyoung scratched her chin to remember, eyebrows furrowed, “I think I last talked to her 3 months ago? We’re mostly on and off but we never lose contact. If you want to go Dahyun, I can ask her about you staying at her place.”

Dahyun’s eyes widen in disbelief. “Her place? I can stay at a hotel you know. I don't want to bother anyone.”

“I don’t want you to be alone either, especially somewhere foreign like that. At least you guys have a connection with each other, i.e. me.”

“Why would she agree to let a stranger stay at her place though?”

“Because she’s the kind of person that would understand why you need the rest.”

That shuts Dahyun up. She fiddled with her fingers, the suggestion becoming more enticing by the minute. “Can I sleep on this first?” She asked, not wanting to just agree to this. They both agree to it, stating that they wouldn’t want to do anything that Dahyun’s not comfortable with. She was glad that her friends don’t push her too much and giving her space to do what she needed to do.

* * *

They stayed for a couple of hours after that until evening, watching trash tv, cooking ramyun for dinner and having fun all around (they don’t want to leave her alone). But even so, Dahyun couldn't help but feel empty despite the happy atmosphere. When they left, the upbeat energy left along with them and Dahyun was by herself (again).

She turned off the lights in her apartment, even though the clock reads 8 pm, shuffling through the dark hallway to get to her room. Her eyes were cast downward as the feeling of longing slowly crept up her spine. A longing for _her_ because the memory was looping in her head again.

She laid down on her bed, eyes up at the ceiling, the space beside her cool to the touch.

_“I always love sleeping in your bed, it’s so comfy.”_

She rubbed her face then bang her fist on the bed, angry that she can’t shut her damn stupid mind off. She tried distracting herself by thinking back on her friend’s suggestion, looking at her phone to search more about Santorini. It’s a beautiful island for sure, with water so blue and history in every nook and cranny of the place. She would have a field day running around the island.

She doesn’t have a problem with going overseas, being a performer herself. But the only difference this time is she’s going alone, with no one following her. As well as actually enjoying the place and exploring instead of the usual airport to venue kind of deal. The more she thought about it while reading blogs and stories of the island, the more she’s inclined to agree with her friend’s suggestion.

Surprisingly, she slept better that night compared to the other nights before, with no dream of _her_ , as she dreamt of the ocean lapping at her feet with the sound of it in the background.

The next day when she woke up, she called Chaeyoung immediately, feeling fresh for the first time in a long time. She sat in front of her window watching dawn break in the horizon, phone in hand. It took three rings until Chaeyoung answered.

“Huh, wha-, Dahyun you okay dude?” Chaeyoung asked, slurring her words. She even heard Tzuyu asking in the back about her. Dahyun felt fuzzy inside that the other girl was at the ready for her calls.

“I’m okay,” Dahyun reassured her. She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts.

“Chaeyoung?”

“Mmhmm?”

“Can you ask Mina about it?”

The other line was silent that Dahyun thought Chaeyoung already went back to sleep, but then she heard rustling. “I’m asking her now okay?” She heard Chaeyoung typing on her laptop. She really, _really_ loves her friend.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the plan to come to fruition. Mina got back to them fast and agreed to have Dahyun over at her house, staying as a guest. She called Jihyo and the manager immediately went to the company to fig— _inform_ —them of Dahyun’s wishes. They got the okay on the spot when Jihyo provided some _good_ points on why Dahyun needed this vacation _a long time ago._

So, they prepared, based on Mina’s information on the island and the when and what of it. Jihyo book the ticket for June, which is two weeks away, because there’s not a lot of tourists in that stretch of time. She also decided for Dahyun to have 3 months of vacation, milking the company for all it’s worth. Dahyun agreed to it because she believed it’ll be good for her (Jihyo has a knack with persuading).

On the day of her departure, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were the ones that had sent her to the airport. It was a pretty early flight, 5 am because it was the only flight with the least amount of time on a layover because there’s no direct flight from Seoul to Athens. Everyone was quiet the whole drive, still sleepy but at the same time excited.

They stayed with her through the whole process of checking in the luggage and ticket. Eating overpriced airport food for breakfast and goofing around because they were exhausted. When it was time, they walked together towards the gate.

“You got everything?” Tzuyu asked, making sure that Dahyun was prepared by being the organized one in the group. Dahyun nodded as she patted around herself.

“She’s going to be fine Tzuyu, she’s a big girl especially with that high insoles,” Chaeyoung teased, earning a glare from Dahyun.

“Yeah, and you’re going to stay small for the rest of your life.”

“We’re literally the same height.”

Dahyun rolled her eyes and then Chaeyoung pulled her in for a hug. It was a tight hug, a bear hug as one would say with the way Chaeyoung was crushing her lungs. But Dahyun didn't mind because this will be the last hug she could get from her friend for a good while. She was cherishing this as much as she can.

“Please be careful, okay Hyun?” Chaeyoung whispered.

Dahyun hummed an okay, patted her back and lets her go to hug Tzuyu next. Her way of hugging Tzuyu is by slotting herself under her neck, taking advantage of the height difference. “Have fun over there okay unnie?” Tzuyu patted her head and Dahyun nodded.

When she passed through the gate, she turned around and waved at them. Their smiling faces engraved in her mind as she took her first step alone into the unknown.


	2. Nykteri

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll, it's ya girl, Ari. Thanks again for taking the chance to read this and I hope you guys enjoy it.  
> [The House](https://twitter.com/anothingqueer/status/1223100159556378624?s=20)

_She wiped her sweaty hands against her dress, anxiety boiling in the pit of her stomach. She’s trying so hard to memorize the speech in her head but somehow her mind is blocked. Suddenly the music played, and she can’t stop her hands from shaking. It was the song that she had worked so hard on, excited at what it would mean for her; for them._

_She turned around and there she was, walking her way towards Dahyun. But halfway through, she stopped in her tracks. The music stopped with her._

_She wanted to call out for her, but her mouth doesn’t seem to work, feeling like it’s all stitched up._

_“I’m sorry Dahyun, I can’t,”_

Dahyun woke up with a jolt, hand clutching at her chest as if somebody just stabbed it. Those words kept echoing in her head as she tried to calm down, breathing labored, but it was hard to calm down because the turbulence further agitated her. She yanked the earphones in her ear when she realized it was _her_ song playing on shuffle, she regretted not deleting it (she doesn’t). The cabin was dark because it was nighttime, so she didn’t dare turn on the light, lest she disturbed the other passengers.

She curled up on herself, grateful that Jihyo booked her a business class seat because she had her own space to break down in. She covered her ears, listening to the sound of her own breathing, following its rhythm until her heartbeat slowed down to its normal state. The dreams—no—the memories kept repeating itself in her waking hours that it bled into her dreams too, trapping her.

When she’s calmed enough, she sat up, fiddling with the screen in front of her to check where she is. There were another 4 hours until she reached the first stop in Paris, then she needed to wait 2 hours for a connecting flight that would bring her to Athens. She sighed, annoyed that her rest was interrupted. She didn’t dare fall back to sleep again though, afraid of having the same nightmare playing again. But she’s used to this.

It’s been happening for months now, the process a routine. Sleep, dream, wake up, cry and repeat. So, she spent the last hours on the plane watching movies, playing games or listening to music. When it was deemed appropriate to open the window, she does it, watching the sun rising on the horizon. The humming of the plane is the only thing occupying her thoughts.

The two hours in Paris were spent by loitering around the airport. Greeting every person that she passed with a bonjour despite not knowing whether they’re French or not. She just likes being friendly (and the word felt funny on her tongue, so she likes saying it).

She walked into each store, looking at the pretty souvenirs organized on the shelves and racks. She was tempted to buy a keychain that had the Mona Lisa’s face on it for Chaeyoung but opted to not buy it because there’s an even better purchase on the left side of the keychain sections.

She walked out of the store with a t-shirt that has the Mona Lisa dabbing in front of it and she grinned as she imagined her friend’s face when she sees it later (she felt a pang in her chest when she saw a small Eiffel tower figurine that _she_ would like on a shelf).

When the two hours are up, she’s on another flight again. This time it goes directly to Athens and she was glad that it would only take three hours to get there. Luckily for her, the two hours stop that had her walking non-stop from one end of the airport to the other, tired her enough that when she sat and buckled up, she fell asleep immediately; exhausted.

It was the same process when she landed in Athens, going through custom and everything just to catch _another_ flight, this time finally to Santorini because it’s an island and the only way to get there is by plane or ferry.

When the pilot announced that they’re almost arriving, Dahyun looked out the window to see the view. She couldn’t help but gape at how beautiful it is, with the ocean so blue and shimmering from the sun’s reflection.

The videos really didn’t do the island justice because it looks gorgeous from up here. She’s especially captivated at how the buildings are stacked, cascading against the cliffs of the island. For the first time in a long while, Dahyun felt excitement in the pit of her stomach instead of dread.

The plane finally touched down after being in the air for an hour. This time, Dahyun felt the butterflies swarming in her stomach increased tenfold as she walked through the small airport. It wasn’t as busy as she had thought because it’s not peak season yet and she’s thankful for it.

She immediately texted Jihyo and Chaeyoung that she had safely arrived after she got her bag. When she first stepped outside of the airport, the smell of the ocean invaded her senses. The sun was so bright and high, she had to wear sunglasses to even see anything.

She checked back on her phone, reading the instruction that Mina had prepared for her in advance. With her white suitcase and beat up converse, she made her way towards the bus area. She had to take a bus to Emporio, where Mina lives, and it would take about 20 minutes to reach that direction. Unfortunately, Mina was unable to pick her up at the airport because of work, but she was nice enough to write down which bus to take and which station to stop.

She gawked at everything that she sees, face pressed against the window of the bus, impressed at how close they were to the ocean. The airport beside it. She took pictures of everything that she deemed interesting, even though it came out blurry because the bus was quite fast to her liking. If she were to compare Korea and here, this island is very wide and barren with open fields because there’s not a lot of tall buildings around. It’s intriguing that the buildings that she saw were mostly white and square but with splashes of deep blue for the doors and windows. But no matter where she goes, the ocean would always be in sight.

However, the bus took her deeper into the island, passing villages and wine fields. Usually, tourists would go to Kamari, which is a town nearer to the beach and airport because that’s the main attraction of the island. But Dahyun preferred somewhere with not a lot of people in order to not get recognized (as if), so Mina living in a town deep in the island is a blessing, truly.

After passing barren lands, they arrived at a small town, with both sides of the road littered with shops. There’s a sign that reads Emporio at the entrance of the town and Dahyun knew that this place is her stop. She was once again impressed at the surrounding here. The buildings are attached and stacked with one another on the slope of a hill. The road becoming smaller the further the bus took her.

She arrived at her stop and stepped off, in awe of her surroundings. With Mina’s instruction in her hand, she followed it to be able to reach the house. Luckily for her, Mina also noted down landmarks so that Dahyun could actually know where the hell she is. She passed through a park and walked into an alleyway, cut off from the main road. A few more twists and turns, she stopped in front of a building.

There are other buildings around but the one in front of her is not attached to the others and the grey door that acts as an entrance to the building has a carving of an 'M' on both side of it. Mina said in her instruction that her door has that carving, so she pushed it to let herself in.

It led her to a small courtyard with a rising pool directly to her left. Next to the pool is a set of stairs that winds up to one of the terraces of the house. The house is huge as it was built according to the slope of the hill. A small archway by the door of the house itself led to a terrace with a table and set of chairs. There seemed to be a stair that led downstairs through that terrace and when Dahyun looked down, there’s another pool downstairs, hidden by a wooden awning.

‘I guess she really likes swimming,’ she thought.

In the instruction, Mina told her to search for the key under a potted cactus near the door. Sure enough, she found it. The interior of the house is simple enough. The first thing she saw was a stairway to probably the bedrooms. She didn’t dare climb, lest she intrudes into a private space. She went through a hallway on her left and was greeted by a living room with a sofa and tv. The kitchen was to her right with a counter in the middle separating it from the living room.

‘This Mina is pretty loaded,’ Dahyun thought as she scanned the environment. A double door was next to the tv and from what Dahyun can see, it led to the dining room. She sat on the sofa, resting her weary bones, body sinking into the cushions.

Her body finally gave up from the non-stop traveling and the next thing she knew, she’s already lying down. The coolness of the house added to her exhaustion. Her eyelids were heavy and the last thing she saw before she went under was the white ceiling of the house above her.

* * *

She woke up to the smell of food permeating the air. In her groggy state, she thought Chaeyoung was cooking and she was glad the girl came today because she was super hungry. She opened her eyes and was greeted with the sight of a different ceiling than her own, glowing orange now from the light in the room. She took a couple of seconds to finally remember where she is. This isn’t her house.

She sat up, her body lethargic from the unsatisfied nap and jet lag. She shook her head around to get rid of the tiredness and that’s when she heard a giggle to her left. There’s a very pretty girl smiling at her from the other side of the kitchen.

“Hi, you’re up?”

Dahyun gaped. “Mina?” She asked and the girl nodded. Her brain short-circuited because _wow_ she’s pretty. Of course, Chaeyoung had shown her Mina’s pictures so Dahyun could identify her, but the photos didn’t do her justice.

“Um, hi,” Dahyun greeted timidly, suddenly feeling nervous facing this stranger.

“Hungry?”

Dahyun’s stomach answered for her. She felt her face flushed, but Mina didn’t laugh at her, opted to set the table with two plates and a pot of something delicious in the middle.

“Come on then,” Mina beckoned for her to sit at the counter.

Her mouth watered at the sight and she waited patiently as Mina plated it. “It’s a local cuisine called Moussaka. There’s eggplant, ground lamb and all sorts of spices. Basically, it’s lasagna, but Greek style,” Mina explained and Dahyun couldn’t help but notice how soft and low her voice is.

Dahyun took a bite of it and groaned at the taste. It was delicious and an all-new flavor for her. She didn’t stop shoveling the dish into her mouth, stopping occasionally to drink water. They ate in silence, but she doesn’t feel the need to fill the air with conversations. It was comfortable and that surprised her.

When she’s finished, she got up to wash the plates, but Mina stopped her.

“You don’t have to do it Dahyun-ssi, you’re the guest.”

Dahyun frowned, pulling the plate close to her. “Nuh uh, I’m going to wash the dishes despite that. Besides, you cooked for me. I can’t laze around and not help repay you. You even let me stay here, no questions asked.” She heard Mina sighed.

“Okay, Dahyun-ssi, you won. Thank you.” Mina smiled gratefully.

Dahyun blushed at that. “You can drop the formality. We're all friends here.”

Mina just smiled at that, nodding her head. And then it’s silence again, the clattering sound of plate filling in the space. When she’s finished, there’s two wine glasses ready for her on the table, Mina pouring it halfway.

“This wine is from my Godfather’s winery,” Mina said, sipping it slowly.

Dahyun took a whiff of it and smile at the scent; it smelled a bit like autumn. She took a sip and was surprised at the taste; nutty and peachy (a stark contrast to the convenience store beer she had chugged these past few months). “It’s delicious. Different from the wine I’ve tasted before.”

“It’s kind of unique.”

Dahyun made a questioning sound while sipping more of it, loving the taste.

“The soil here is mostly volcanic soil because of the volcanic eruption centuries ago. The condition is not supposed to be good for grapes because of the lack of some elements, but it’s a hidden blessing because the wines produced are unique and can only be found here.” Mina poured some more for her when she noticed that Dahyun’s glass was empty. “But the difference between our wine and theirs is that we keep the tradition of harvesting it at night, hence the name Nykteri in Greek, which also means ‘working the night away’.”

Dahyun almost choked on her drink, trying to contain her laughter. Mina looked at her questioningly. “Coincidentally, one of the songs I’ve composed was titled dance the night away.”

Mina grinned, amused by the info, “seems to me we’re fated.”

Dahyun felt her stomach jolt, but she ignored it, finishing her second glass of wine. Her head was starting to buzz, but it’s not enough to get her drunk. She thought about what Mina said, comprehending it. “So, volcano juice?” Dahyun murmured but covered her mouth because she didn’t mean to say that out loud.

Mina snorted and chuckled into the palm of her hand, trying not to laugh out loud. Dahyun felt embarrassed but at the same time, she didn’t mind, happy that she got to make the girl laugh like that. It felt like the ice was broken.

“That’s one way to put it. It wasn’t even that funny.”

“I have the ability to make people laugh at my unfunny jokes and expressions.”

“Right, Chaeyoung might’ve told me that.”

That caught her a bit off guard. “What else did Chaeyoung told you about me?” She didn’t mean to sound so blunt, but she’s curious at how much Mina knew about her current situation.

“Just that you’re her best friend since the womb and you need a break from work and life.”

“That’s it?”

Mina hummed, circling the rim of the glass with her finger. “I didn’t really ask her what you’re going through—because that’s not my place to ask since we’re strangers—but, I do understand what it felt like to be at your lowest in life. Hence, this place.” She gestured the place.

“You bought this house? It’s very beautiful.”

“No, my father built it. He was an architect and he built this house for my mother because they love this place. It’s our summer house.”

Dahyun noticed that there’s a tightness in Mina’s tone as if she’s holding something back. But Dahyun is nothing short of empathetic, missing her parents too back in Korea. “So, they’re in Japan? Living together in retirement?”

“They got divorced 3 years ago actually. Living at the opposite sides of the world.”

Dahyun’s breath hitched, her hand reached spontaneously to Mina’s and laying on top of it (she ignored the jolt that went through her skin). “I’m so sorry, Mina.” Dahyun apologized, guilty of making the girl remember back something so tragic. Why was she so naïve?

Mina shook her head, turning her hand to grip onto Dahyun’s. “It’s okay Dahyun, I’ve fully accepted it. It’s something that happens.” Mina smiled at her, but the hurt is still there, she sensed it. Dull, unlike hers, raw and bleeding. This was what Chaeyoung meant when she said Mina would understand.

“Still, I’m sorry to hear that.”

It fell silent, both not sure about what to say, but their hands were still intertwined. “I’m sorry for bringing the mood down like that.” Mina apologized and Dahyun shook her head vehemently.

“Please, it wasn’t your fault.” She retracted her hand onto her lap, realizing that it was still in Mina’s. The other girl cleared her throat and stood up.

“How about I show you to your room or do you still want to stay down here?”

Dahyun stood up too, “Sure, I could use a bath. I stink from the plane.”

Mina led them upstairs. Thankfully the stairs weren’t that high, so she had an easy time carrying her suitcase up. It’s a long corridor with most of the doors on the right. Mina pointed out the first door as her room.

“If you need anything, I’m right here.”

The third door down from Mina’s room is hers. It’s a pretty decent size room, with a queen bed in the middle, a wardrobe and a study table by the window. She even has her own bathroom. She observed her new space that she’s going to occupy for the next 3 months from the doorway, charmed by how cozy it is. So charmed that she didn’t realize she hadn’t moved a muscle.

“You can come in and take a look, you know,” Mina teased. Dahyun ducked her head to cover her blush and shuffled into the room. The first thing that attracted her attention was the window. She pushed it out and marvel at the view of the ocean, even though they’re so far away from it, she can still see it.

“One of the things I love about this island is how easy it is to see the ocean from every corner of it.” Mina murmured, standing beside Dahyun to see alongside her. “This was my old room, so as you can see, I like spending time at this table and watch the ocean from here.” She pointed at the table and sure enough, there are doodles and writing on it.

Dahyun felt her heart swelled from the information.

“I guess I'll leave you to rest then, there’s towels and extra toiletries in the bathroom.” Mina stepped back and head towards the door to leave, but not before she stopped in her tracks and turned around. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come to my room, okay?” When Dahyun nodded then she left, leaving Dahyun by herself.

She sat on the chair, watching clouds floating away with the wind, the view of the vast ocean in the background illuminated from the ray of the moon. She imagined how little Mina would look like, seating in the same seat as her. The thought distracted her from the inevitable dream that she would have in her sleep.


	3. Mintpenguin123

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I was late with posting the second chap, I'm posting chap 3 along with it. Hope ya'll enjoy this :3

Dahyun woke up the next day feeling fresh and dandy, surprisingly. The dream doesn’t come to her like how it usually does, giving her a little bit of hope that this vacation might probably work. She lazed around in bed, playing with her phone and thinking of texting Chaeyoung but realized that she doesn’t have access to wi-fi, forgetting to ask Mina about it. She grumbled; plan ruined as she goes about starting her morning routine.

Stepping out of the room fresh from the shower with a tank-top and shorts, she made her way downstairs, but not before stopping in front of Mina’s room. The door was slightly ajar, and she could see a little bit of the inside, but she chastised herself for being too curious and left before she does anything stupid. No matter how mysterious and enigmatic the other girl is, Dahyun is not going to start invading her private space like that.

The house was quiet and when she got to the main area there was nobody around. She poked her head in the kitchen and discovered that there’s some eggs on the table and a note. The note was in cursive and she doesn’t know why, but her thought pointed its way to Mina, thinking how this kind of writing suits her.

_I’ll be out working until the late evening. The eggs on the table are for you, hope you like soft-boiled. There’s bread in the bread box and peach yogurt in the fridge. It’s really tasty if you want to try it (you should by the way). For lunch, there’s some leftover moussaka in the fridge and if that’s not enough I have some ramen in the cabinet below the sink. Feel free to roam the house and look around, you can even go swimming and don’t worry about it being dirty because I clean it every weekend._

_Wi-fi password: mintpenguin123_

_Have a good day Dahyun._

She felt warm from reading the letter. She prepared her breakfast, toasting the bread and taking out the peach yogurt from the fridge. She ate slowly, savoring the taste and taking her time to chew because she doesn’t have a plan for today. She picked up the yogurt, smelling it and happy to know that it does smell like peaches.

It tasted heavenly as she shoveled some more into her mouth.

_“Dahyunnie! Feed me some of that, please.”_

The yogurt slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, along with her spoon. She froze in her seat as she watched the content spill out slowly from its container. Her ear ringing from the sound of the spoon and the voice. She spoke too soon and now she’s sitting in the kitchen with a spilled yogurt like a dumbass, scared of the memory inside her head.

It took her a few minutes to actually do something. Finally springing into action when she felt the—now melting—yogurt touched her foot. She tried calming her heart down by focusing on the task at hand, wetting a kitchen towel and cleaning up the mess she made. Whining when she saw how much of the yogurt is left and she didn’t get to finish the damn thing.

After she finished cleaning up, she sat back at the kitchen table. Slumped in her seat as she berated herself for freezing like that from eating _yogurt._ She had worse than this though, a couple of weeks after the incident where she had a panic attack at the mall because a woman passed by her wore the same perfume as _her._ Chaeyoung had to drag her ass to the car immediately to calm her down. At least this time she didn’t cry, just annoyed; small victories. Jihyo’s word rang inside her head, ‘no matter how fast or slow it takes.’

The note on the table caught her attention again. Mina’s suggestion to explore the house became the only thing that occupied the forefront of her mind. She heaved up and grabbed her phone, making her way out of the kitchen. Time for a distraction, then.

She started from the top, checking out the room beside hers. Her throat closed up at the sight of a lone piano placed in the middle of the room. She went in to check it, blown away when she saw what model the piano is. It is old, for sure, but when she pressed a key, the sound is still in tune. She would love nothing more than to try playing a piece on the piano, but she doesn’t want to taint such a beautiful instrument with her sadness. So, she left the room, squashing the longing.

A stair leading upstairs was behind the door at the end of the hallway near her. It leads to a balcony with a plastic awning covering the area to block from the sun and rain, making it the perfect place to hang out. She bet sitting out here at night would be an even lovelier time. She made a mental note to try that out.

She went downstairs again to the living room, checking out the dining room that she caught a glimpse of last time. She marveled at how beautiful it is, with how regal the chandelier hanging in the middle of the ceiling looked like, with how the freaking ceiling looked like. It’s a mural of the sky. Half of it was painted to look like the night sky with the moon perched up high above it, while the other half was painted to look like the blue sky itself with the sun at its center.

She gawked at it for a couple of minutes, taking in the detail of the clouds, stars and pretty much everything. It looked real enough that she felt as if she’s truly under the sky itself. She took a picture of it, remembering that Chaeyoung would go nuts over this. When she’s done, she continued with her solo tour. Stopping in her track at the huge canvas art of Santorini buildings overlooking the ocean at the end of the table, hanging on the wall. She took a picture of it too and left the room, still reeling from how beautiful the artworks were.

She went to the set of stairs that led downstairs, marveling at how big the place is to have a basement. But when she opened the doors, it was a library. Bookshelves were at each side of the wall of the room, filled with books from top to bottom.

A sofa was placed against the middle wall of the room with a coffee table in front of it. There seemed to be a void space on the wall above the sofa as if something was supposed to be placed there, a painting maybe, but her curiosity vanished as she got distracted by the books on the shelves.

She checked the spines of the books, the title is related to history of the buildings, paintings, and even the island itself. Research papers were stacked like towers on the coffee table and then she noticed an old slide projector perched right beside it, pictures were strewn by the side.

She noticed that this room felt very well-lived in, compared to the other area of the house because there’s not a speck of dust on the books and it doesn’t smell as musty as the piano room. Also, because there’s a mini-fridge tucked in the corner of the room humming in the quietness.

She picked a random book from the shelf; the title is in Greek, so she doesn’t know what it is about. But the pictures of old chapels on the cover and in the book told Dahyun that this might be a history book. What caught her attention as she skimmed the texts are the little notes in Mina’s handwriting filling the blank space of the book. Ranging from anecdotes to opinions in English, Hangul, and Japanese. Now she’s curious at which language would Mina think in.

There was a door in the corner and when she opened it, it led outside by the pool that she saw from upstairs, with the wooden awning. The water looked inviting, especially with how the sun shines so brightly above her head. But she believed that swimming would be an activity for another day because, in that moment, her stomach started grumbling. She left the library with a book in hand, a novel she found amongst the educational book stacked on the shelves. Determined to distract herself and enjoy this vacation, or so help her God.

* * *

Mina came back later that evening as she had said. They’re having dinner together and Dahyun helped with the preparation by cutting up the ingredients and passing it to Mina as she cooks, the smell engulfing the kitchen with a savory scent. She’s making pasta, the red sauce one that Dahyun sometimes forget the name of, but she had always liked eating it back in Korea. Usually, the one who cooks in her apartment was Sa—, she stopped her train of thoughts.

It’s not until Mina called for her name that she snapped out of it, the worried look on Mina’s face distracted her from her intrusive thoughts.

“Sorry, just got distracted.”

“I bet. You must have a lot on your mind. I wouldn’t mind listening.” Mina offered her.

But Dahyun doesn’t want to dive deep into her feelings (not tonight), so she shook her head and thanked Mina for the offer. The atmosphere was a bit heavy after that mishap, with Dahyun still reeling from one of the memories, setting up the table with shaky hands. She needed to think fast before it escalated into something else.

“You have a piano.”

It must’ve caught Mina off guard because she stuttered her answer, “Uh, y-yes?”

Dahyun imagined smacking her head for that clusterfuck of a segue, “I was exploring the house. You have a beautiful piano in one of the rooms.”

“Ah, that piano. It was my mother’s,” Mina explained, pouring the wine for them both and taking her seat. “But she wasn’t playing it as professionally as you, though. It was one of her hobbies besides painting.”

Dahyun hummed, chewing her spaghetti while absorbing the information. “I bet she played it beautifully.” She stopped chewing when Mina gave her a bashful smile, cheeks rosy and gummy teeth showing.

“She did. When I was doing ballet, she would learn the piece so she could help me with practice. Hence the room being bare like that because that’s where I used to practice. But I’d already taken down the mirrors, thinking of renovating it to something else.”

Dahyun could see it, Mina doing ballet. With the way she walked (waddling), back ramrod straight whenever she stood or sat and elegance in every bone in her body. She wondered what kind of piece she danced to. “Do you still dance?” She asked instead.

Mina shook her head, smile wistful and Dahyun understood why.

_No one’s playing for me._

“Thank you, Dahyun. My mother would’ve loved to hear that from you.”

Her heart warmed at that and they continued eating, the silence a blanket over them. But it’s warm and comfortable.

That night Dahyun fell asleep easily. Instead of her nightmares suffocating her, she dreamed of sitting at the beach, the heat of the sun on her skin and the feel of the sand underneath her feet. Mina was dancing at the edge of the water, splashing as she moves to the beat of _her_ piece. When Dahyun woke up the next day, late in the afternoon, she doesn’t even remember what she dreamt of.

* * *

Chaeyoung was packing her things to leave the office. It was almost midnight and she lost track of time having fun doing this project of hers. When Tzuyu called did she realized it was late and she immediately shuts off her computer, not wanting to let her girlfriend wait for her any longer. She stepped out into the empty street, about to head to her station when a voice called out for her.

“Chaeyoung!”

She turned around and she was there. The person that’s on the top of her hit list right now. “What do you want, Sana?” She scoffed, thinking of just turning around and leaving the girl. She did just that until Sana stood in front of her to block the way.

“Please, I just need to talk.”

“You’ve lost that privilege when you left my best friend like that,” she growled, ears heating up from the anger. She shoulder-checked her as she passed through, but Sana held onto her arm to stop her. “Let. Me. Go,” Chaeyoung growled.

“Chaeyoung please, just listen to me. I’m begging you,” Sana pleaded.

That’s when Chaeyoung really sees her. Her clothes were disheveled, body trembling from the cold, eyes sunken as if she hasn’t slept for days. How long has she waited for her? A part of her was satisfied at how broken the other girl looked, but another part of her was empathetic because Dahyun looked exactly like this all those months ago. So, she stopped struggling.

“Not here. Come on.” She walked towards the station with Sana in tow.

When Tzuyu saw them from the couch, there’s a glint in her eyes that Chaeyoung could describe as _murder_ , but only for a second because Chaeyoung stepped in front of Sana to shield her.

“Hello, unnie,” Tzuyu greeted, using all her 6 foot to tower above Sana.

“Hi, Tzuyu,” Sana greeted back, not looking at her in the eyes and that satisfied her.

Chaeyoung asked her girlfriend sweetly to make them some tea and Tzuyu left to the kitchen without a fuss. She might be able to have a cool head to have this conversation, but she knew Tzuyu won’t be the same as her, opted to decimate the other person with her deadly (hot) quip and wit. Something that they’re not going to have right now.

She didn’t want to feel pity for the other girl, but Sana looked so small on her couch, body folded into herself as if she’s trying to make herself look even smaller. Guess Dahyun wasn’t the only one affected by this. She sat on the single couch next to Sana, waiting.

“I know I’m the last person you wanted to see right now.”

“You’re right if anything I don’t ever want to see you again.”

“I deserve that.”

Chaeyoung shook her head, exasperated. “Talking yourself down like that isn’t going to get on my good grace. If you want to get back with Dahyun, I’m not allowing that.”

“I wasn’t thinking of doing that, I-I can’t, not when I hurt her like that,” Sana stuttered, heated by the accusation. “I just need to talk to her, personally. A closure for us because the way I handled it was so stupid and selfish."

Chaeyoung gritted her teeth, “It didn’t just hurt her Sana, it wrecked her. She couldn’t play her piano because she kept playing that stupid piece she made for _you_.”

Sana looked crestfallen. “She couldn’t—” She choked out, covering her mouth to hold in her sobs. “I didn’t think—,” Sana cried into her hands.

Everyone that knew Dahyun on a deeper level understood how important the piano is for her. And knowing that she couldn’t do the thing that she loves the most, couldn’t enjoy it, breaks them. Sana knew that too.

Suddenly Tzuyu was back from the kitchen. She puts down the tea she had made and sat down beside Sana to hug her. Chaeyoung can see the fight in her girlfriend left her body, and it left her too. She knew how much they loved each other, being a witness to it for years. No matter what, Sana is still one of her closest friends. They stayed like that until Sana calmed down, her sniffles the only sound in the room.

“I went to her apartment and she wasn’t there. Where is she Chaeyoung?”

“She went on a vacation. I’m not telling you where though because she needed this a long time ago,” Chaeyoung answered apologetically. “She’ll be away for three months though so, I suggest you don’t just drop to see her immediately.”

“I understand. I’ll wait for her then,” Sana murmured, blowing her nose into the tissue that Tzuyu had given her.

Chaeyoung wrung her hands, conflicted. “I’m not going to ask you why, unless you wanted to tell me yourself. Seeing you like this, I realized that it’s not just Dahyun that suffered. But, I’m willing to listen, if you want me to.”

It took Sana a couple of seconds to answer. “I think… I’ll talk to Dahyun first,” Sana said.

Chaeyoung nodded, understanding her decision. But then she felt Sana’s hand laid on top of hers. “Thank you, for giving me a chance Chaeyoung.” She turned her head to lay it on top of Tzuyu’s shoulder. “Thank you, Tzuyu.”

Seeing her vulnerable like this panged her heart a little. Such a sharp contrast to her old bubbly self. She just hoped Sana has a good reason as to why she broke Dahyun’s heart in the first place and ultimately, broke hers.


	4. Restore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, ya'll. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :3  
> something to listen to on her adventure [Mystery of Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WTt69YO2VI)

Dahyun had been staying with Mina for almost two weeks now, doing nothing but relaxing all over the house. She's reading a novel that she snagged from Mina’s library, giggling at the anecdote she found littering the book. Even in novels, Mina would put down her thoughts and opinion for certain scenes or moments. Making Dahyun lose focus on the plot because she much preferred Mina’s thought process. Mina is a very intriguing person, Dahyun concluded.

They have a routine now with each other. Mina would leave her notes in the morning along with breakfast before she goes to work, telling her about where she’ll be going and when she’ll be back. At night she would cook for the both of them, the leftover would be Dahyun’s lunch come tomorrow. She may be quiet and reserved, but her actions speak volume and Dahyun found that to be very endearing.

However, despite her homebody tendency, she’s beginning to feel a bit bored just lazing around the house doing nothing. Sure, she’s on vacation, but that doesn’t mean she should just sleep it off till the end of it. Even though back in Korea all she ever craved were nights of peaceful sleep, but surprisingly she’s been getting that these past few days. Hence, her boredom.

So, she searched ‘places to go in Santorini’ in google and read every article she could find related to it. The most ‘touristy’ spot would the capital of Santorini, which is Fira located on the western part of the island. It’s a 20-minute ride from here and for the first time in Dahyun’s life, she’s going to just wing it, by herself. Because usually, the catalyst for her spontaneous actions is from Chaeyoung.

She got ready in minutes with a sundress and a sun hat at the ready. Pretty much slathered with sunblock because she can get ‘cooked’ easily by the sun. With direction saved on her phone, she heads off towards the taxi area that she saw near the bus station. Luckily the locals here understood English, so she didn’t have a hard time telling them where to go.

She got there exactly 20-minutes later, standing in line for the cable car. She’s excited and nervous because she doesn’t like heights, but her other options were either on foot or _donkey_. She doesn’t think she can handle either, so she opted for this option.

Since there’s not a lot of tourists because it’s not peak season yet, the cable car wasn’t as cramped. She steeled herself to stand near the window, fear momentarily forgotten at the gorgeous view of the ocean. She took pictures of it and marveled at how beautiful the white and blue buildings stacked against the slope of the hill.

When she reached the top, she officially began her journey in Fira. She followed a group of tourists along, hoping she would reach somewhere exciting. And she did, a road littered with locals selling trinkets and souvenirs by the side. Everything looked pretty to her, especially the porcelain plates glimmering under the sun.

She stopped at each stand, checking out the bits and bobs that caught her attention. The vendor welcoming her and offering her prices for the items. She then went into an alleyway and its shops upon shops of goods. The alleyway itself looked picturesque, so she took pictures of it with the intention of sending it to her friends. And then she saw it, through her phone camera, a stand selling various beautiful bracelets.

She went to the stand, scanning everything on the table and the ones hanging. She’s counting in her head, the people that she’s going to buy these bracelets for. Chaeyoung her bro, Tzuyu her lovely maknae, Jihyo the incredible manager, Sana her—Oh. She froze, startled at how easy it was to even think of that name. Usually, she couldn’t even think of it, let alone uttered it. But here she is, in the cusp of buying something for her, forgetting that Sana is not hers anymore. She doesn’t even know if this is a good thing or not.

Suddenly she felt someone tapped her shoulder. She almost jumped on the spot until she saw who it was. “Mina?” The girl nodded, gummy smile showing. Dahyun took in what she wore, a simple white button-up, jeans and a pair of Ray-Ban. She gulped, tearing her eyes away to look back at the bracelets, hoping the other girl didn’t notice her frozen on the spot.

“You want to buy these?” She pointed at the bracelets that Dahyun laid in line according to the list in her head.

“I, yeah.”

“You have good taste.”

Dahyun mumbled a small thanks. “What are you doing here?”

“You didn’t read my note?” Mina pouted, looking like a kicked puppy.

“Oh! Wait, I just remembered. I did read your note. You're working here,” Dahyun rambled.

Mina dropped the pout and smile, “yeah, the Orthodox Church needs their cross fixed and restored.”

“Oh, wait. What _is_ your job—” She stopped midway because the shop owner cleared his throat. Dahyun felt her cheeks heat up, giving the shop owner the bracelets that she had chosen.

“50.”

“15?”

“50.”

“Oh, that’s, uh, quite expensive,” she mumbled, rummaging around in her purse. “But, it’s worth it, I guess.”

“40.”

She whipped her head towards Mina, the girl sneakily winked at her. The shop owner was stunned, but it didn’t deter him.

“45.”

“35,” Mina doesn’t budge, smiling sweetly at the man. They’re caught in a stare off, a bead of sweat rolled down from the man’s head. Dahyun looked at them both, holding her breath lest something was to happen. In what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes, the man sighed and nodded; agreeing to the price that Mina ‘persuaded’.

Dahyun paid for it, walking away from the stand with a reasonably priced bracelets in her hand.

“Have you had your lunch?” Mina asked. Dahyun shook her head.

“I was about to after buying these. Thank you, by the way. But I can’t help feel bad though,” she frowned. She didn’t really mind paying for the initial price.

“You’re cute.”

Dahyun felt her neck warm to her cheeks, and it’s not from the sun. “I-uh, _ha_ , thanks? I guess,” she stuttered, rubbing her neck hoping that would cool it off. She heard Mina giggled next to her.

“I’m sorry. It’s just, it’s a normal thing to haggle around here. Encouraged even. So, you don’t have to feel bad about it, okay Dahyun?” Mina explained amidst her giggle.

Dahyun nodded, still embarrassed that Mina called her cute.

“Since you haven’t had lunch yet, I’ll take you to my favorite place to eat,” Mina decided, but then she rolled back in. “Unless you have a plan at the ready or maybe this is a solo trip in which case, I should leave you to it,” she rambled off and Dahyun found that endearing.

“No, no, I would love to have you as company. I don’t have a plan actually, just winging it with a little guide I saved on my phone.”

“Great, come with me then.”

They walked through the main road, reaching a small square that Dahyun recognized as the central square of Fira and swerved into an alleyway. This time instead of souvenirs, it’s restaurants and food stands.

They reached a door to one of the buildings, it was a staircase going upstairs and Mina ushered her to climb up first. When she reached the top, it was a small rooftop restaurant, with only a few chairs and tables filling the space. A portable canopy was pulled to shield them from the sun.

Dahyun went in further and couldn’t help but gawked at the view of it. It was a direct view of the ocean without any obstruction from the other buildings. They sat in one of the tables that are directly facing the ocean.

“This place is nice,” she looked around the restaurant. There’s hanging decoration of ships in a bottle and origami compasses as well as fairy lights adorning the area. There’s a bar counter in the inside area of the restaurant and the tables in there used sofas instead of chairs, giving off cozy vibes. She looked back to the ocean. “The view is gorgeous.”

Mina smiled at her, observing her reaction no doubt. “One of the hidden gems of the island. This is my go-to spot for eating in Fira with my family. We even knew the owners because we were here when they first opened the place. Grew up with their kid really.”

When she finished explaining, a short-haired woman came to their table, sitting with them.

“Mina-yah, I thought you were still cooped up in your workshop,” the woman exclaimed while clasping Mina on the shoulder. “I was about to drag you out of it.”

“Hello, Jeongyeon. What’re you doing up this early?” Mina asked, looking annoyed but her tone was teasing. It was almost 2 pm.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes but she doesn’t hide the affectionate grin. Dahyun felt like an intruder watching their interaction. Until Jeongyeon’s eyes landed on her, of course.

“Oh, hello there, I’m Yoo Jeongyeon. Owner of this wonderful establishment,” she introduced herself, shaking hands with Dahyun.

“Hi, I’m Kim Dahyun. Nice to meet you.”

“Your name sounds familiar.”

“Lots of Kims in Korea.” She smiled awkwardly, Jeongyeon still hasn’t let go of her hand, staring at her. Suddenly another person came to their table.

“Yah Jeongyeon, stop flirting with the customer and get their order you—Oh! Hey, Mina.” This Nayeon waved excitedly at Mina.

“Hi, Nayeon unnie.”

“The usual? And stop scaring the poor girl Jeongeyon, let go of her—holy shit it’s Kim Dahyun.” Nayeon froze, almost dropping the menu that was in her hand.

Now Dahyun has two people looking at her as if she’s a big thing. She cowered into herself because she doesn’t think anyone would notice her. She hoped they wouldn’t ask her why she’s on hiatus, she doesn’t even know what to tell them. Luckily, Mina was there.

“Can you guys calm down? She’s on vacation.” They snapped out of it and looked at Dahyun sheepishly.

“Sorry, we’re fans of her. We just love everything that she produced, yknow?” Nayeon apologized, her bunny teeth visible from her guilty grin.

“You know what, anything you order is on the house,” Jeongyeon exclaimed and Dahyun was about to protest until Mina butted in.

“I thought I always eat here for free.”

“Mina please.”

Dahyun giggled at their antics, their banter reminded her when she’s back home. She wondered if they were to meet her friends, they might get along with each other.

“So, the usual?” Nayeon asked again.

“Yes, please and make it double.”

They left the table as fast as they came. Leaving her alone with Mina again.

“Sorry about that, they can be a bit loud.”

Dahyun shook her head, “it’s not a problem really. I’m surrounded by loud people usually.”

“Chaeyoung?”

“Chaeyoung.”

They grinned at each other. Then they continued their small talk. Mina asking where she’d went to and Dahyun telling her just through that one alleyway.

“I should take you around then.”

“Don’t you have work?”

Mina shook her head, “it’s pretty much done before lunch, so I’m going to be free for the whole remainder of your vacation.”

Dahyun was surprised by this. “Oh? I thought you work the usual 9-5 kind of job.”

“It’s usually flexible but this one needs me to be here from morning to evening because I’m in a team. I can bring my work home because I have the necessary tools at the ready but since it’s a 10 feet cross attached to a church, it won’t fit my car.”

Dahyun was lost, “Oh?” Wait, what is your job? Even though I’ve been living with you for like two weeks I still don’t know what you actually do.”

“I’m a conservator. I help preserve the cultural heritage on this island.”

Dahyun hummed; fascinated.

“Since this island is very old, there’s a lot of the buildings and arts that need fixing. That’s where I come in.”

“Why choose this line of work, if you don’t mind me asking?” Dahyun was curious. History is not one of her strong suits, but she knew the importance of it. She’s more into history of music though.

“I like fixing things. The history is a huge bonus because I like reading the back story of everything that I helped restored and conserved. It’s a thing that I’ve been doing since I was small. My father would show me the things that he found broken or deteriorating and fix it. I would be by his side and watch him.” Mina had a smile on her face, the kind of smile where you would reminiscence about the good time and had made peace with. Something that Dahyun wished she could have right now.

“But sometimes, some of the arts don’t really need to be fixed. It’s one of our ethics that we learned from school. It’s not because it can’t be fixed, it’s just something that doesn’t need to be fixed and that’s okay too… because not all broken things are bad.” She finished it with a sense of certainty; the words a sort of belief. And it resonated with Dahyun too.

Seconds after that, the food arrived. It was a plethora of dishes that some Dahyun had ate and some she hasn’t seen before and the smell from it made her mouth watered. 

“Enjoy your meals, ladies,” Jeongyeon said and left them once again.

“All of these are local dishes and quite delicious. Hope you’ll like them.”

“Everything that you gave me had been super delicious, so I’m pretty sure these would be the same.” She felt proud when she saw Mina’s cheeks tinted pink from the compliment. She took a bite on one of the fried things and was surprised that it’s a tomato. She hummed, taking a bite of everything else and absolutely loving it.

“I want to know more about you too, Dahyun.” Mina suddenly said amongst the chewing and it caught Dahyun a bit off guard. She felt her heartbeat steadily rising, nervous of Mina for once.

“Sure.”

“Have you always wanted to be a composer?”

She paused, eyebrows furrowed, “not really a composer per se, but anything related to music, honestly. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was a kid, spreading my music to the whole world. Luckily, I found the way.” She cuts a piece of food,” sometimes, other than composing I would go to auditions for a pianist position. Be it for a live concert or an award show or even just playing for the kids at the hospitals.”

“That’s very admirable.”

Dahyun blushed, talking about work has always been a droning thing. But with Mina, she felt a spark in the conversation.

“Is it hard being a composer? Are you put under the spotlight most of the time?”

She pondered, “I’m not as famous as an idol. But it did feel like I was put under a microscope to be observed and dissected when my first original work came out. Because everyone’s attention was on me.” She took a sip of wine. “But then they assigned Jihyo as my manager and she has been nothing but supportive throughout the whole thing.” She couldn’t help but smile when she remembered how intimidating the other girl was when she first saw her, but then she has proven herself to be a cuddly mama bear. “She helped me with contracts, schedules, and even the press. So, everything has been smooth sailing.” Until _that_ happened, but Mina doesn’t need to know that.

“Would you trade your work for anything else?” Mina asked quietly.

“No. Because it’s something that I love to do, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.”

“I get that. It goes the same for me too.” They smiled at each other, finding another kind of connection with one another.

They kept quiet after that, eating in silence as usual. And as usual, it’s not uncomfortable. Dahyun insisted to pay for the meals, despite the couple already telling her it’s on the house. But, since Dahyun won’t budge, they compromised by asking for Dahyun's autograph.

"I'm not really an idol. So there's no value in this," Dahyun argued.

"But it'll be very valuable for us, so win-win," Nayeon countered back.

Dahyun was about to argue more when Mina squeezed her shoulder. When she looked back Mina was shaking her head and Dahyun understood, these people are not going to back down no matter what. She sighed, "fine."

Nayeon smiled widely, handing her an album of an ost she had worked on for a movie. She was stunned because it was one of her earlier works and she didn't think anyone would be that interested it in, especially when she was so new to it.

"The work you put in the ost to harmonize with the movie is what made me fell in love with it. That's why I'm a huge fan of you." Nayeon explained.

Dahyun felt her heart clenched. Nayeon's sincere appreciation had touched her so deeply that she felt like crying. But she held off the tears and signed it.

"Thank you so much Dahyun, this means a lot to me," Nayeon said softly, clutching the album to her chest.

They bid farewell and Dahyun felt a little lighter in each of her steps.

* * *

She’s following Mina now, excited to go to wherever it is the other girl is taking her. And the girl took her everywhere. The museum, which is full of prehistoric items and artifacts that they dug around the island. Mina explaining through all of it and giving little anecdotes that weren’t included in the description. Much like how she wrote notes in the books that Dahyun found.

Then she took her to the art gallery where Dahyun knew Chaeyoung would love to go and explore. Especially when Mina told her the arts exhibited were created by local artists. She took pictures of everything, as well as listening to Mina explaining the meaning behind the arts. She’s becoming more accustomed to the soft tone of Mina’s voice that she hanged to every word the other girl said.

She then brought her to one of the churches in Fira. An orthodox cathedral that’s located in the center of town. Dahyun was stunned by the beauty of it, especially the mural on the inside. Mina didn’t say anything much, just letting Dahyun observe the pretty mural and lights bouncing from the walls of it.

“The cross above the church was the thing that I had been working on for months for.”

“Oh? Impressive,” Dahyun complimented and Mina smiled shyly.

Next thing she knew the sky is an array of orange ombre. They’re at a rooftop café, taking a break before Mina drives them home. It’s another hole in the wall that Mina recommended, and this place is a little more packed than Jeongyeon’s place, but they managed to secure a seat by the edge of the railing overlooking the ocean.

“I don’t think I need to say why I chose this place huh?”

Dahyun hummed, mesmerized by the sun slowly descending in the horizon, bathing everything in its path in orange. When it hits them, she couldn't help but stare at Mina, noticing how good it looked reflecting on the girl's face and she wondered, was she the same too?

“One of the reasons why people come to the island is for this view. It’s also one of the reasons why they kept coming back for more because seeing the sunset somewhere else you would think ‘huh, it’s not the same’.”

“Maybe I’ll be one of them when I go back to Korea then.” They smiled at each other, looking back at the sunset and enjoying it while drinking teas and eating pastries.

* * *

After their impromptu tour, they got closer than before. Especially when Mina had finished with her work, so she’ll be at the house until she gets called back for a new project, which could take months.

Since Mina is also a homebody like her, they stayed at home most of the time, hanging out binging movies and dramas. Dahyun pointing out that she met the actors and actresses as well as commenting on the musical composition. She couldn’t help but noticed how Mina would listen attentively to her even though she could just keep on watching the tv.

They would also cook together with Dahyun help preparing the ingredients and Mina cooking the dishes. But Mina would also occasionally take them out to eat dinner or lunch. Introducing Dahyun to more Greek cuisines.

They would also sometimes hang out in the library, Dahyun listening to her talking about her favorite buildings in Santorini and the history behind it. Mina would also show her pictures, using the slide projector, explaining more on it while they sit on the couch close together.

And then she showed her the workshop which was apparently hidden between the bookshelves.

“This is my workshop when I could take my work back home. But it’s usually for paintings though,” Mina explained.

“How did I not see this.” Dahyun looked around in awe, examining the bottles and flask organized on the shelf. Everything was labeled properly and Dahyun recognized them to be chemicals. There’s a large table in the middle of the room with buttons and knobs, as well as a stool and wooden easel in the corner.

“My ‘workshop’ is just a soundproof room, a piano, and a computer.”

“But a great many pieces came out of there.”

“Stop that,” Dahyun chuckled, avoiding the compliment. She doesn’t think she deserved that especially when she hasn’t done anything for almost a year. She then noticed something in the corner of her eyes. A big painting turned towards the wall.

Mina seemed to notice where her attention was. “You want to see that?”

Dahyun jolted, “oh, no no, it’s okay. If you want to, of course.”

Mina smiled at her and went to the painting. She turned it around and it was a portrait of a man and a woman. The woman is sitting while the man stood at the back with his hands on her shoulder. They were looking ahead towards the painter. It looked old because of the browning of the paper and cracks from the paint.

“Those are my parents.”

Dahyun froze. “Oh.”

Mina huffed out a laugh, “don’t be so tense Dahyun. I wanted to share this with you. It was supposed to be in the library above the sofa, but I wanted to try to restore it cause as you can see, it’s pretty damaged.” She kneeled next to the painting and pointed at the brown spots. “But somehow, I don’t feel like doing it.”

“Why?” Dahyun asked, kneeling next to her too.

“Remember when I said about some things doesn’t need to be fixed?”

“Because not all broken things are bad,” Dahyun supplied.

Mina nodded. “I’m feeling it with this painting.”

And in a way, Dahyun understood what she meant. Mina had made peace with her situation and Dahyun hoped one day she would be able to reach where Mina is too. No matter how fast or slow it would take. She felt a poke on her cheek.

“Do you wanna see what I’ve been working on?” Mina asked softly, smiling at her, finger still poking her cheek.

Dahyun smiled back, pressing against the finger, “yes, I would love to.”

It became one of their routine too where Mina worked on restoring a painting that’s months away from its deadline, while Dahyun watched her work on it. To anyone it would be equivalent to watching paint dry, but Dahyun was so focused on it, sometimes asking Mina how she knew what color to choose and paint on the painting and Mina would happily answer her questions.

The days bleed into each other that Dahyun doesn’t even take note of how long she had stayed there. Chaeyoung reminded her it’s been one and a half month since she last saw her and that she doesn’t really miss her despite her calling Dahyun at 6 am in the morning in Korea.

She also realized that the intrusive thoughts and nightmares doesn’t haunt her too frequently. Sure, she would sometimes stare into space when she remembered and felt a twinge in her chest when she saw something that reminded her of Sana, but most of the time she’s relaxed and distracted with Mina.


	5. Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, hope ya'll enjoy this tiny little bump in the road :) we're still far from the end so expect more bumps coming along the way ;)
> 
> Something to listen to for this one  
> [Futile Devices](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZBCogVtano)

She woke up quite early on a fine Saturday morning; groggy and heavy but very well-rested. Another day, another fun day she thought, stretching herself like a starfish in bed. She had an idea on what she’s going to do today, something that she had been planning to do the moment she set her eyes on the pool.

She got up and rummaged through her suitcase for her swimsuit. It’s a pretty modest black one-piece swimsuit that she usually used for the pool. Bikinis would come later when she’s at the beach. So, wrapped up in her towel, Dahyun made her way towards the pool, only to stop dead by the door.

Mina wasn’t lying about cleaning the pool every weekend, but usually, Dahyun would miss her because she would wake up late into the afternoon. It’s not uncommon for people to wear a bikini in the pool, but when it’s Myoui Mina, with a bikini top and shorts cleaning it under the rising sun, it hits kind of different for Dahyun.

She didn’t mean to gawk, but she couldn’t help looking away either, feeling heat in the pit of her belly. She felt her face flushed when she made eye contact with Mina.

“Dahyun-ah! Morning!” Mina greeted her, gummy smile on display, holding the net like a spear. But Dahyun could only give her a tight-lipped smile. She just waved at Mina and doesn’t budge from her spot. “Told you I clean it every weekend. Come on in, the water is nice,” she beckoned her.

Dahyun didn’t really have a choice, if she bolt Mina would question her, so she bucked up and came out, avoiding eye contact with her at all cost. She saw Mina in the corner of her eyes heading elsewhere and she thought the other girl was done and would probably leave to go inside. But she was wrong. She was so wrong because when she turned around Mina was already out of her shorts and in a full mint bikini.

Dahyun felt her mouth gaped and it reminded her of that Pikachu meme that Tzuyu once showed her.

Mina either didn’t see her staring or chose not to comment on it (she hoped for the former), diving into the pool and that snapped Dahyun from her staring. When she popped out, she was smirking at her, quirking her eyebrow when she saw that Dahyun still hadn’t gotten into the pool. Deep down in her gut, Dahyun knew that Mina saw her gawking.

Dahyun was about to combust because she got caught, but who wouldn’t stare, really. It’s Myoui Mina for fuck sake and she’s only human. She slipped off her towel and walked to the shallow end of the pool, waddling her way in; ignoring Mina’s smirk.

They swam circles around each other, splashing water and competing on who could hold their breath the longest. And it went on until the sun was almost perched up high above them.

“You’re up early today.”

Dahyun adjusted herself so she would float face up to the sky, mumbling, “I could finally sleep better compared to months ago.”

Mina waddled towards her, the tiny wave she created passed under her. Next thing she knew the other girl was in the same position as her. “You didn’t have a good sleep before this?” Mina asked softly.

Dahyun gulped, she didn’t mean to let that slipped out. A part of her wanted to tell Mina everything, but a part of her doesn’t want Mina to feel burden by her problems. But it’s getting harder and harder to keep her reason for vacation a secret because of how close she’s gotten to the other girl.

So, she submerged herself, eyes closed and letting the water pull her under. It’s a coward’s way out, but at least she didn’t lie to Mina. She doesn’t even think she _can_ lie to Mina. When she felt the last of her breath leave her body, she breached and saw Mina already sitting at the edge of the pool, waiting for her.

“Can you ride a bike, Dahyun?”

She was puzzled, but Mina only looked at her expectantly. “I—yeah?”

“Good. We’re going somewhere after breakfast, or from the look of things, brunch.” Mina stood up, wrapping herself in a towel.

“Where?”

“Do you trust me?”

She paused for a second, contemplating. Does she? She exhaled, the realization hits her, “I do.”

After brunch, they got ready for the trip. Mina took out two bikes from the storeroom and placed a blanket in the basket. She still hadn’t told Dahyun where they were going, but Dahyun doesn’t really mind and followed her anyway.

Luckily the road wasn’t as congested nor hilly to get to their destination. She enjoyed the breeze flowing through her hair, giggling when Mina did zig-zag in front of her to show off her ‘skills’. They made a pit stop at a stand, quenching their thirst with lemonade and kicked off again after they finished.

After 20 minutes of biking, Dahyun could see their destination in the distance. They stopped at the gateway, the sign read, ‘Nykteri Winery’. Mina had brought them to a vineyard.

A tall, grey-haired man came out to greet them and Mina hugged him. “Dahyun, this is Dio, the owner of the winery and my godfather. Dio, this is Dahyun, a guest staying at the house with me.”

Dio shook her hand and greeted her. “Welcome to the winery. I hope you'll have a lovely time here.” He then turned his head to Mina, “I’ve prepared a cheese board that goes with the wine for you both.”

“Oh, Dio, you don’t have to.”

“Hush child, I want you two to have a good time. It’s in the kitchen waiting,” Dio smiled warmly, voice coarse and Dahyun felt a surge of warmth in her chest at his kindness. Then Dio said something in Greek that Dahyun doesn’t understand and walked off towards the gate, smile mischievous.

“Dio!” Mina gasped, her face flushed and Dahyun doesn’t know why. The man just chortled at the outburst and leave them to themselves.

It was Dahyun's first time seeing Mina so flustered like this that she couldn't help to giggle. “What was that?” She asked.

Mina chuckled nervously, “It’s nothing, really. Let’s uh, go inside now.” She ushered Dahyun to enter the building in front of them, which Dahyun found out is a house. They head straight to the kitchen, where the cheeseboard was located and an assortment of cheeses, meats, jams, fruits, and crackers was beautifully arranged on it.

Mina then led them to the back door and out into the vineyard. They went further away from the house into a field of trees and when Dahyun looked closely at the fruits, it’s peaches. Then they stopped in the only patch of grass in the middle of the trees. Mina spread the blanket for them, and they sit side by side with the food they brought in front of them.

“Try this,” Mina picked up a cracker and assembled a creation for Dahyun. She spread it with soft cheese, top with cured meat as well as sliced peach and gave it to Dahyun. She then pours them both the wine that Dio provided for them. “Then you drink this.”

Dahyun tried it and moaned at the taste, immediately tasting the wine after she swallowed and groaned at the combination of it. An array of colors exploded behind her eyelids from the taste, that she missed the flush on Mina's cheeks from her excitement. “That’s delicious Mina. Especially the wine.”

Mina smiled; eyes crinkled. “Dio produced this wine since he took over the business 40 years ago, perfecting the recipe along the way. The winery became one of the biggest wineries in Santorini,” Mina boasted and Dahyun could see how proud she is of her godfather.

“How did you know him?”

“He’s a friend of my father before I was born. He’s also the reason why my parents fell in love with Santorini in the first place because he introduced the island to them. It’s natural that he became my godfather in the process,” she chuckled, lying halfway on her elbow to get comfortable, nearer to Dahyun. “He’s like a second father to me, taking care of me when I needed someone the most.”

“I can see it, his kindness,” Dahyun spoke, sipping on her wine. She understood the unspoken meaning behind Mina's words. Dio must've taken care of her after her parent’s divorce and Dahyun’s heart swells up even more at the thought.

They continued eating, conversing about anything and everything they could talk about under the sun. Mina told her the peaches are just extras because Dio’s wife loves peaches and they were also the ones that made the yogurt that Dahyun didn’t manage to finish the other day (Mina doesn’t need to know that).

They talked to the point they finished the bottle of wine and the food they bought. They lie down next to each other, watching the clouds pass by the blue sky.

“Dahyun.”

Dahyun hummed, feeling content and full.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable with the question at the pool. I didn’t mean to pry.”

Dahyun blinked lazily and sighed, guilty that Mina had to apologize for something that wasn’t her fault in the first place. She turned her body to look at the girl lying beside her, taking in her side profile. “It’s okay Mina, it wasn’t your fault. I just, I’m not ready to say anything about it.”

She waited for Mina to say anything, the silence stretched for a few seconds.

“Remember what I told you on the first day you were here?” Mina murmured, turning her head to the side towards Dahyun, face to face and Dahyun couldn’t help but marvel at how expressive Mina’s eyes are. “If you need anyone to listen to, I’m here for you.”

Dahyun felt her heart skipped a beat, heat surging through her whole body and breath stuttered at the sincerity in Mina’s voice. She schooled her expression into a neutral one, but her heart was hammering in her chest to get out. This feeling felt familiar and Dahyun swore that she would never feel it again, but here she is, falling fast for Myoui Mina.

She took a deep breath and exhaled, “thank you, Mina.” Then she got up, tipsiness gone and too sober to process whatever this is. She needed to divert this conversation or else she’ll spiral into her feelings. “Did you do all this just because you felt guilty? You don’t really have to you know.”

Mina got up too, her gaze burning the side of her face, but she didn’t dare turn. “That and also because I have to pick up a bottle of wine for Nayeon and Jeongyeon.”

The change in topic was abrupt but not unwelcome. “Oh? They have a bar full of alcohol, but they still need another bottle here?”

“It’s for their anniversary party next week Friday.”

“Oh, am I invited?” She tried to be playful, hiding her nervousness behind her smile.

Mina was either oblivious or knew Dahyun was about to crash and burn because she played along with her (Dahyun hoped for the former), “Maybe,” she smiled, but her voice wavered, and it was laced with worry but Dahyun ignored it.

She guffawed, mock offended and clutching her chest. “The audacity!”

They both chuckled at that, but Dahyun could feel how fake and awkward her own laughter is and how it’s grating to her ears.

“Of course, you’re invited. They would kill me if I didn’t tell you," Mina murmured, but suddenly she got up on her feet. “I think it’s time to pack up, it’ll get too dark if we stay too long.”

They quietly pack up everything and walked back to the house to pick up the wine. The bike back was also spent in silence and it became too unbearable that when they arrived Dahyun immediately went upstairs to hide away in her room.

She sat on her bed, ruminating in her feelings. The sun was setting when they arrived so the glow of it illuminated her room from the window. The bubble that they meticulously created had popped all because Dahyun had to catch feelings for the person that had been nothing but kind to her. And she’s not even over her ex yet.

She supposed it was something inevitable. Like how the sun rises and sets on the horizon. She had her suspicions from the start, an attraction from the moment she sets her eyes on Mina behind the kitchen counter. She thought she could play it down as a physical attraction, but the more she denied it, the harder it is to fool herself.

Myoui Mina had wormed herself into Dahyun’s heart, while at the same time she’s trying to kick Sana out of it. She laid down, eyes on the ceiling, blinking into nothingness. When she opened her eyes, it was dark and someone’s knocking on her door. She got up, stretched herself and groaned at the kink in her neck.

She walked towards the door, glancing at the clock and was surprised it was already 9 pm. When she opened it, there was no one outside, but a tray of food was placed on the floor with a note placed on it. Her heart stuttered as she crouched to pick up the tray, walking back into her room and placed it on the table. She picked up the note and read it.

_Enjoy your dinner and have a good night Dahyun._

She slumped in her chair, staring at the food in front of her; guilt clawing up her neck. She really doesn’t deserve anyone’s love, does she?

* * *

She didn’t sleep well that night. And the next seven days leading up to the party. Surprisingly, avoiding someone that you’re living together under one roof wasn’t that hard, especially when Dahyun just stayed in her room and came out to eat when she heard Mina closed her door at the end of the hallway. Collecting the card that Mina seemed adamant to leave on her plate.

But it does take a toll on her because of the guilt and the imaginary voice inside her head that sounds like her ex telling her she couldn’t do this anymore on repeat.

In her self-appointed exile, she’s accepted the fact that she likes Mina, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to tell her about it. She’s just going to suppress it until it goes away from the lack of interaction. If Chaeyoung were here, she would’ve smacked her own forehead, then smacked hers.

But her isolation had to be cut short because she has a party to attend to. She’s glad that Jihyo insisted that she packed a decent black dress that would fit for any kind of party, or else she would’ve had to go in her shorts or bikini or worse, borrow from Mina.

After she finished her make-up, she walked her way down the stairs and almost stumbled because Mina was already at the front door, looking gorgeous in her white dress. A stark contrast to the t-shirt and shorts she’s been wearing all over the house (and to the white blouse and jeans combo the other day, but that’s a whole other can of worms she doesn’t want to acknowledge).

Guess the lack of interaction doesn’t help shit because when Mina smiled at her, the butterflies in her stomach increased tenfold that Dahyun was scared it would have flown out of her mouth. She smiled back, small and crooked, nervous to face the girl.

“You look beautiful,” Mina complimented, not a hint of disappointment or worry in her voice. Cool and soft like how she always is.

“Thank you. You look, stunning.”

“Thank you Dahyun, shall we go?” Dahyun just nodded and away they go in Mina’s tiny car.

The party is held at their house in Fira. It’s a square house right in front of the beach and Dahyun was in awe at how big it is. There are tents perched outside with bonfires scattered on the beach itself. When they arrived, it was already in full swing and Dahyun was amazed by the number of people attending.

“It’s an anniversary party, right?” She asked Mina, eyes fixed on the wine pyramid in the middle of the room.

“Yup, they just like to flex each other to the people.”

Dahyun wondered if she could have that in the future.

_“I’m sorry Dahyun, I can’t.”_

Nayeon’s shrill voice broke her from her reverie, calling out for them to come to her. Mina walked first and Dahyun followed behind, collecting herself before she faced Nayeon.

Mina held out the wine they brought and Nayeon took it near her face to examine it, squinting so hard that Dahyun thought she was about to shoot lasers.

“Fuck yeah, Dio’s wine,” she popped it open with her thumb and Dahyun was amazed by that too.

“How many had you drank unnie?” Mina asked, worried in her tone but Nayeon just brushed her off.

“Just a little, I was waiting for this one.” She poured it in a glass that she was holding, drinking the whole thing like a shot. “Fuck yeah, the good stuff. Jeongyeon babe, Mina and Dahyun are here (Dahyun tried to ignore the jolt in her stomach at how natural it sounded).”

Jeongyeon came, looking a bit sober than her counterpart. But that thought was soon squashed when Jeongyeon grabbed the bottle, twirling in place while giggling.

“They’re going nuts for it,” Dahyun whispered to Mina.

“They _really_ love it,” Mina murmured back.

After the couple had their fill, they ushered them to the banquet area. Dahyun spent her time there, tasting everything the couple had to offer, taking her time because she’s still nervous to be left alone with Mina. Luckily Nayeon swept Mina along with her to talk about one thing or another and Dahyun sits by herself in one of the tables there, until Jeongyeon came.

“Hey, Dahyun.”

“You okay?”

Jeongyeon grinned and gave an okay. “I’m good, the wine is delicious, by the way.”

Dahyun smiled, “congratulations, on your anniversary.”

Jeongyeon’s grin got impossibly bigger as she watched her wife stumbling around, thinking she was dancing. “Thanks, Dahyun-ah, I just love her so much.”

Dahyun couldn’t help but feel happy for her newfound friend, she thought she was going to be bitter about it, but deep down she knows, that’s not her. “How did you two meet each other?”

Jeongyeon lets out a low whistle, turned in her chair to face Dahyun and sporting the biggest smile Dahyun had ever seen. “I’m glad you asked.”

Oh boy. Dahyun remembered what Mina said about them liking to flex about each other to other people. Guess she wasn’t kidding.

“It all started when I was 5 years old,” Jeongyeon started, grinning from ear to ear and Dahyun could only look, frozen in place.

_Oh Boy._

“Just kidding, we met in college.” Then she chortled, clutching her stomach at Dahyun’s annoyed expression. Her and Chaeyoung would get along splendidly.

“Alright, alright. We met in college, it was a friend with benefits kind of deal, you know. Cause college was stressful and we’re both hot, so why not, right?”

“O-oh okay.”

“Then in the middle of it all, we caught feelings. She insisted that I was the first to catch feelings, but it was her actually—don’t tell her that by the way,” she whispered the last part and Dahyun laughed at that. “Then it was almost the end of college and I can’t stay in Korea because I have to help my parents here. On the last day of our romping, I dropped the L word on her—”

“Lesbian?”

“Haha, shut it, I’m trying to talk about my wife here, so where was—right, I dropped the L word and she called me an idiot. She told me she loved me back and then I left for my flight the next day.”

Jeongyeon exhaled, her face serious. “We had a long-distance relationship for 3 years, and let me tell you, it was _hell_ because I couldn’t physically be with her and vice versa. But then on our third-year anniversary, she suddenly went missing for the whole day which got me worried sick.”

Her expression turned wistful, looking at Nayeon in the distance. “The reason why was because she’s on her way here with a visa and a one-way ticket, knocking on my door in the middle of the night and proposed to me right then and there.”

“That’s pretty sweet.”

“I know right?”

Dahyun chuckled, impressed by the proudness Jeongyeon has for her wife. But then her mood turned serious. “How did you know? That you had feelings for her. And was it hard to confess?” She asked.

Jeongyeon pouted, hand on her chin, thinking. “Maybe I already had feelings for her from the start, even though it was physical. But as times goes by the feelings evolved and keeping it in became harder with every meeting, until it bursts out.” She cringed. “That was cheesy.”

Dahyun nodded, lips mashed, “I don’t mind it though.”

“Keep it a secret from Nayeon or she would have a field day,” she whispered then paused again to think for her next answer. “It was hard, partially because of the circumstances, but the strongest thought that I had at the time was, ‘if I don’t do it now, won’t I regret it?’.” She shrugged.

Dahyun took in the information, contemplating. She bit her lip and spill out, “what if, let’s say. A friend of mine went through a pretty bad break up months ago, almost a year and they’re still hung up on their ex. But then, they met someone that they believe they’re attracted to and might possibly have feelings for. What should they do? Do they need to forget about it because they haven’t fully healed yet or should they accept it?”

“You got a lot of questions, Kim Dahyun.”

Dahyun shrugged, smiling awkwardly, hoping Jeongyeon won’t notice but she’s pretty sure the older girl got the gist of it. Jeongyeon regarded her coolly and Dahyun felt sweats dripping down her back from the intense stare.

“I think your friend should go for it,” Jeongyeon stated nonchalantly, twirling the wine in her glass. “As I said, if they don’t do it, won’t they regret it?”

She took a swig and suddenly got up on her feet. “Dahyun-ah, tell your friend,” she paused, staring at Dahyun in the eyes. “You only live once.” She then proceeded to wink with both eyes, finger guns and stumbled her way in search of Nayeon probably. She _really_ needs to introduce Jeongyeon to Chaeyoung.

She sat there for a few more minutes until she got up and went outside to get some air. She walked past the drunkards and the bonfire and arrived at the edge of the water. It pulled her in with every lap on her feet and it felt as if she’s being coaxed to join whatever it is living deep under the dark blue ocean.

Jeongyeon’s words were ringing inside her head. Will she regret not telling Mina about her feelings? Would she even like her back though? That’s the question. But Jeongyeon did confess without knowing it herself, but at the same time, they were in a _relationship_. So, it might be something inevitable. There’s another thought that kept gnawing in her head that stopped her to even entertain this idea.

But suddenly a drink was in front of her face. She followed the hand connected to it and was face to face with Mina herself, smiling sheepishly at her. She blinked, puzzled by her sudden appearance.

“You look like you need it.”

She took it and drank. It’s a hint sweeter than Dio’s wine, but she likes it anyway. “Thanks.”

Mina hummed, shuffling on her feet. Dahyun watched her, interested at what Mina wanted because she has an expression on her face as if she’s thinking of something. She felt a bit bad that Mina had to watch herself now being around her.

“Are you okay?” Mina murmured and if Dahyun didn’t strain her ears she would’ve missed it.

“I’m good now, I think." She took a deep breath and murmured, "I’m sorry Mina.”

Then it was Mina’s turn to look puzzled. “For what?”

She bit her lip, anxiety prickling, “for my behavior this week and that you had to put up with it. You’ve been nothing but nice to me, but I’m the one being difficult.”

“Dahyun, it’s fine,” Mina whispered, holding Dahyun’s hand. They jolt at the touch, but none acknowledged it. “I understand that you needed space. I’m not going to be angry at you about that. I’ve been through this kind of thing, you know.”

Dahyun couldn’t take it. With how selfless Mina is for her. With how easy it is for her to forgive. “You don’t know why I avoided you. You don’t know my story.”

“So? That doesn’t make your pain any less valid. That won’t make me think less of you.”

 _Oh_.

The pin dropped and her question came back to the forefront of her mind, she would regret it, won’t she?

“I have feelings for you, Mina and it’s killing me because I want so badly to give my all to you, but at the same time I’m afraid.”

“Why are you afraid?” Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Because I’m not healed yet and I don’t want you to feel like I’m using you to heal myself, but in my heart of hearts I know I’m falling for you and I can’t seem to stop.”

Mina cupped her cheek and brushed off the tears that seemed to fall, that she didn’t even realize were falling. “Then don’t stop, Kim Dahyun.” She leaned forward and Dahyun closed her eyes.

Soft lips pressed against hers and Dahyun felt warmth spread throughout her body, starting from her lips to the tip of her ears and fingers. The kiss was salty from her tears, but she wouldn’t want it any other way, especially with how delicate Mina was with her. When she pulled back Dahyun couldn’t stop the whine in her throat, blushing when Mina just chuckled.

“I’m falling for you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a heads up, I wrote this before the dicon yolo thing and I would've never guessed they would use it unironically. Anyways, thanks for reading and sticking with me ya'll.


	6. Adore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello :3 hope you guys like this one, cheers  
> [Sana's piece](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQGcecbp1I)

Dahyun woke up under a familiar ceiling with an arm draped across her stomach. The smell of jasmine invaded her senses and she knew whose perfume she’s inhaling. Said person also sprayed some on her bed because it helped her sleep better and Dahyun happily agreed to that method too.

They’re in Mina’s room that was becoming hers too because she didn’t feel like sleeping in her own bed and Mina didn't seem to mind in the slightest. It’s a part of their routine now to sleep together. After the confession, they went back to how they were used to, only this time it’s with an addition to kissing at every moment that they can get, which was all the time.

Her heart jolted at the thought and with her index finger, she swiped her lips, still tingling from the goodnight kiss Mina gave her last night. She craned her neck to look at the sleeping girl burrowing her face into her shoulder. She couldn’t help but lean forward and leave feather-light kisses on every skin that she could reach, hoping Mina would wake up and give her a proper kiss that she deserved.

She shifted herself to make it easier, starting from the top of her head, forehead, eyelids, cheeks, nose, chin and finally on her lips, where Mina returned the kiss very enthusiastically. She pulled on Dahyun’s bottom lip, prompting a groan out of the other girl. Dahyun could see her eyes turned a shade darker from the noise she lets out and her stomach tightened from the sight.

“Morning Dahyun. That’s a nice way to wake up to,” Mina murmured, pulling Dahyun closer by the waist, hugging her tight and hands roaming her backside.

Dahyun hummed, enjoying the way Mina was peppering kisses on her neck and sternum that she couldn’t help squirming. When Mina bit at a particularly sensitive area on her neck Dahyun couldn’t stop the moan from escaping her mouth and they both froze at that.

Mina chuckled, face flushed and hid her face in her own pillow. “Sorry,” she said, voice muffled.

Dahyun giggled at how cute the other girl is, cuddling herself closer. It’s not that they don’t want to take it further, she would love nothing more than that because Mina is a damn good kisser. But it was Mina’s suggestion to take it slow because she wanted Dahyun to feel comfortable and to make sure it’s something that Dahyun wanted (and not because she wants to forget).

They got up after that, starting the day like how they usually do.

When lunch comes around, they were lounging on the sofa, catching up to the latest drama. Dahyun was in the midst of explaining how a tune shouldn’t be played that way in that scene when Mina’s phone rang. Mina spoke to the other person in Greek, frowning when she ended the call.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to go to work,” she mumbled, still frowning.

“Oh…I thought your next work would be months away?”

“It is, but this one is an emergency because I have to fill in for someone. It’s only for 3 days though,” Mina reassured her, but there’s a hint of guilt in her voice.

“That’s okay then.”

“I have to stay there.”

“Oh.” Dahyun frowned too, the idea of not having Mina around saddened her. She doesn’t want to be selfish, but she couldn’t help it. “Why do you have to stay there?” She whined.

Mina just chuckled and kissed her to wipe the frown off her face and it’s working because the next thing she knew she was on her back on the couch with Mina kissing above her. The warm weight of her a comfort. “It’s on the other side of the island. So, I have to stay there,” Mina murmured against her lips and Dahyun relented.

* * *

Mina packed up after that, leaving Dahyun by herself with a kiss and a promise to come back as soon as possible. Dahyun spent the rest of the day sulking, doing the rest of their shared activities alone, like the first weeks she was here.

Even so, this separation could be considered as a blessing and a curse because she finally had the time to reflect on herself. Something that she hadn’t done for quite some time because of Mina. Something that she purposely wanted to ignore because it meant thinking about Sana and what she’s feeling for this whole situation.

She’s in bed now—Mina’s—with her mind going a hundred miles per hour. Everything felt so easy with the other girl, especially the way they fall back into their routine, picking it back up to where they left off, only this time they don’t have to hold back their affection for each other.

However, Sana never left her mind either, kept in the backburner. But it didn’t hurt her like how it used to, her voice doesn’t haunt her like it used to, as if her past is a distant memory, as if she’s… healing. However, the thought doesn’t sit well with her.

She slept uneasy that night, the smell of jasmine calmed her only slightly. The feeling bled out into the next day too, rendering her immobile in bed. She’s overthinking, she knows, but that doesn’t mean she could stop her thought from wandering.

Is it a good choice to be in a relationship after having her heart broken into pieces merely a year ago? Is it even a relationship because they haven’t really made it official? Is she using Mina to make herself better? Are her feelings real? That thought hurts her the most. She wants—no—need to talk to someone about this. And she knew just the person to ask.

Booting up her laptop and messaging whether the other person is free, Dahyun waits. After she got confirmation that Tzuyu is still awake, she skyped her.

 _“Hey unnie!”_ Tzuyu greeted her, smile wide and waving. Dahyun recognized her background to be the bedroom of her and Chaeyoung’s apartment.

“Hey Tzuyu,” Dahyun greeted back, feeling comforted at finally seeing a familiar face after such a long time. “Is uh, Chaeyoung around?”

Tzuyu shook her head, _“no, she’s still at work. Are you okay unnie?”_ Tzuyu asked to the point and that’s why Dahyun liked to talk to her when it comes to this.

She took a second to think, trying to decide on where to start. Then she decided to start from the beginning. From the moment she met Mina, her first impression, the things that Mina had done for her, the things that she had said, the moments they had spent together.

Dahyun even told her about the growing feelings, the moment when it clicked, the denial and isolation, as well as the confession. She also told her about the lack of Sana in her mind and how easy it was to forget about the other girl. Tzuyu nodded and hummed along as she listened to Dahyun attentively, hanging to every word.

When she had finished her retelling, she waited for Tzuyu’s response. The other girl looking at her with eyebrows furrowed and Dahyun wasn’t sure what it meant, her stomach churning.

 _“Isn’t it a good thing?”_ She asked slowly, slightly unsure at what Dahyun wanted from her.

“Is it? I’m not... really sure myself. That’s why I wanted to talk to you about it. I-I don’t know if this is good. I need an unbiased opinion on this.” she stuttered.

Tzuyu hummed, her expression contemplating. _“What’s bothering you about this?”_

Dahyun tried her best to organize her jumbled thoughts so that it’ll be coherent enough for her to explain and Tzuyu to understand. It took her a little bit of time and she’s grateful that Tzuyu doesn’t rush her and waited for her patiently.

She sighed, “I’m scared.”

_“Of what?”_

“Healing.”

_“Dahyun-unnie, look at me.”_

Dahyun looked up from her lap, Tzuyu’s frown on the screen.

_“Why do you think that way?”_

She huffed, “because it feels too easy. Shouldn’t I be more… miserable?

 _“Miserable? Unnie, you couldn’t even eat yogurt without remembering her. Isn’t that miserable enough?”_ Tzuyu asked, focused on Dahyun that she felt as if she’s naked under her gaze.

“No? I don’t know Tzuyu, that’s why I called.” She’s getting annoyed with herself now. The line was quiet for a bit and Dahyun doesn’t know what else to say.

And then it clicked. _“You’re punishing yourself.”_

Those words hit her straight in the chest that she felt as if the other girl punched a hole through it. The truth of it all. The core of her problem that she’s trying so hard to conceal but Tzuyu managed to unveil it with only a few words. “Don’t I deserve it? The punishment. Didn’t Sana leave because of me?”

Tzuyu leaned back on her chair, observing her. _“How would you know it was your fault when you guys haven’t even talked about it.”_

She shrugged, “because I could put a name to the pain and dump all the blame on it. It’s better than to have no clue, torturous even.”

Tzuyu hummed and because of this calm demeanor is why Dahyun confided more in the younger girl than Chaeyoung. _“Dahyunnie, I need you to listen to me. None of what happened is your fault and if it is, you shouldn’t be subjecting yourself to this kind of torture to punish yourself. No one should really. You deserve to be happy unnie. And if falling in love with someone is how it is, then so be it.”_

She took in a shuddering breath, holding back tears that were bound to shed any second now. Then she looked at Tzuyu’s soft smile and she couldn’t help but sniffle at the sight. Those words hurt her in the best way possible, to finally be able to feel a sort of acknowledgment for her pain.

“I’m not f-fully healed though.”

 _“It doesn’t have to be now. Take your time and accept that you’re healing. That you deserve to heal.”_ Tzuyu said with so much conviction that Dahyun couldn’t help letting out a watery chuckle. _“Enjoy your vacation unnie and have fun with Mina. I’m going to be really cliché and disgusting like Chaeyoung but just follow your heart.”_

“But you like it when Chaeyoung is cliché and disgusting.”

She can hear Tzuyu sighed affectionately, smile on her face, _“yes, yes I do.”_

Dahyun smiled, feeling like a burden had been lifted off her shoulder. But then she recalled, “Mina’s not around though, she's working on the other side of the island.”

_“Do something that you’ve always been doing then.”_

“I think I’ve exhausted every way possible to enjoy things in this house.”

_“Except for one.”_

Dahyun whipped her head towards Tzuyu, seeming to catch on to what the other girl is saying. “Do you think I’m ready?”

_“Unnie, every decision starts with a leap of faith. All you have to do, is jump."_

* * *

They talked for a bit and Dahyun goes about her day feeling somewhat calm. She had lunch by the patio. She picked up the novel that she had left strewn around and read it in the library. She watched the sunset on one of the roofs of the house. Then she heads to bed (Mina’s) and lay in it with nothing in her mind but the need to sleep.

When the next day rolled around, she woke up feeling satisfied because she doesn’t dream and because there’s something that needed to be done. So, she goes about her usual routine, shower, breakfast, lounge in the living room, then she heads upstairs to the room.

The piano sits there, bathing in the light of the sun and Dahyun doesn’t know anything else that would look as beautiful as this. She pulled the bench and sat on it, all the while marveling at how kept the piano is, with not a speck of dust in sight.

She pressed a key from one end and drag it to the other, satisfied at the smoothness of the tune. She closed her eyes, hands at the ready and breathes in as deep as she can. When she exhaled, she lets go, her hands moving on its own, pressing down the keys into a melody that she had perfected for so long.

It’s Sana’s piece, happy and cheerful; the personification of the girl in music form; the accumulation of her love for her. But instead of dread, Dahyun felt light in every press of the key. Her hand moving fluidly at one section to the other, the music echoing in the empty room.

She didn’t even hear the sound of the car parked outside, nor the footsteps of a person walking towards where she is; too absorbed in playing and enjoying what she had abandoned all those months ago.

When she finished, she heard clapping behind her and when she turned around it’s Mina standing by the doorway, smiling at her so brightly.

Dahyun smiled back, but she doesn’t move from her spot. “You’re back early.”

Mina walked inside slowly, looking at her intensely with every step. “The guy managed to come back earlier.” She stopped right in front of Dahyun, eyeing her and the piano. “That was a lovely piece you played. Never heard that one before.”

“It’s a personal one. I don’t think I can put it out into the world.

Mina then started to take off her shoes, puzzling Dahyun. “What are you doing?” She asked, watching Mina walked towards the middle of the room.

“Play it for me. The one you just played.”

Dahyun gulped, but she got ready anyway. When she started playing, Mina moved along to the melody perfectly and Dahyun was mesmerized by her. Since she memorized the piece by heart, she watched Mina glide and trot across the room, her move in-sync with every press of her key.

It was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced, especially with how gorgeous Mina danced with the light from the outside shone upon her. When the song reached its end, Mina stopped dancing with a flourish that Dahyun couldn’t help but gave a standing ovation.

Mina came to her breathless and Dahyun pulled her in for a kiss. It was rough and biting, but then it turned softer and gentler, deep and all encompassing. When her back hits the key and made a horrible sound that reverberated across the room, they stopped. Panting against each other’s mouth because of how passionate the kiss was.

“Hello, I missed you,” Mina murmured, voice a bit deeper than how it was before and eyes twinkling.

Dahyun chuckled but then shuddered when Mina’s hands started roaming her back. “I missed you too, so much,” she breathed out. She couldn’t help but gasped when Mina got under her shirt, her hand doesn’t stop its exploration. Mina swallowed her moan after that, pulling her in by the waist to get closer.

Dahyun pulled back for air but it was proven to be futile when Mina peppered kisses on her jaw and down to her neck, nibbling at every sensitive spot that Dahyun has. She craned her neck to let Mina have more access and when her hand accidentally pressed against the piano, they were startled by the noise again and froze in place.

Mina was the first to break out into a laugh, the sound contagious that Dahyun couldn’t help but follow. When they calmed down, forehead still pressed against one another and breath mingling from the proximity, Dahyun felt the burning in her lower belly slowly climbing. She leaned into Mina’s ear, breathless, “take me to bed.”

When they reached Mina’s room (theirs), she suddenly felt nervous to continue. Mina noticed the change in demeanor and pulled her in for a hug. “It’s okay if you don’t want to Dahyun,” she murmured and Dahyun’s heart swelled ten times bigger at how concerned she is for her.

Dahyun shook her head, eyes determined as she pulled Mina in for a kiss, biting her lower lip in the process. “I want this. I want you.” And it was the truth.

Mina led them backward while kissing until the back of her knee collided with the bed, forcing her to sit on it. Dahyun straddled her, their lips still connected until Mina had to break away, only to latch onto her pulse point, marking it. Dahyun was startled by this and couldn’t stop her hips from rolling, earning a grunt from Mina. But they didn’t stop this time, nor were they hasty in their action.

Dahyun got off her lap to take off her shirt while Mina kept on kissing the exposed skin of her stomach. She helped pop off the button of Dahyun’s pants, undoing the zip and pushing it down until it fell to the floor. She does the same with her bra, throwing it across the room.

Dahyun had to grip Mina’s shoulders for balance and to ground herself because she felt vulnerable with the way the other girl was looking at her; eyes shone and _hungry_. But then Mina scooted herself to the middle of the bed, enticing her with the way she’s unbuttoning that sinful white shirt while maintaining eye contact with Dahyun.

When the last button popped, Dahyun crawled over to give Mina a searing kiss, hand clutching at the shirt to pull it off. When everything was off, including the pants, she felt heat spread throughout her whole body, especially with the way Mina pushed her down to get on top of her.

They kissed for a short while, slow and deep until Mina’s hand started to wander down and down and down between her legs, groaning at how wet Dahyun is for her.

“You’re so beautiful,” Mina murmured, her finger circling Dahyun’s clit and spreading her wetness. Dahyun couldn’t help bucking her hip at the touch, hands clutching Mina’s back from how good it felt. When she pushed in, Dahyun moaned, feeling herself getting closer to the edge when Mina thrust faster.

She came with a silent moan, eyes closed and back arched in a perfect angle. Mina hasn’t stopped her action, languidly thrusting and whispering sweet nothings in her ear to get her to come back down from her high. Dahyun had to push her hand away because of how sensitive she felt.

When she opened her eyes, her heart throbbed at how intense Mina was looking at her. Even with her hair plastered to her forehead, face flushed, Mina still looked ethereal and Dahyun surged forward to kiss her.

She pushed Mina on her back, moving down her body and leaving trail of kisses until she reached her destination. She nibbled at her hips, blushing at how pretty Mina’s moan sounded like. She took her time with Mina, licking, biting and sucking on the inside of her thighs.

Only when she heard Mina whining her name did Dahyun took pity, kissing upward until she reached her heat. The feeling of Mina’s thighs clamping around her head gave her a sense of satisfaction because she managed to make Mina feel this good. She fastens her pace, pushing two of her fingers and thrusting until Mina came calling out her name. Dahyun felt her heart skipped a beat. She cleaned her up until Mina pulled her back in for a kiss.

They became entangled in each other, kissing until they ran out of breath, kissing until their lips were swollen, kissing until the sunset shone through the window and until they were immersed in its orange hue.

When Dahyun looked at Mina, face serene and bathing in the color of the sunset, she lets herself believe that she could heal; and she would heal, no matter how fast or slow it may be.

Mina caressed her face, wiping the tear that she didn’t realize was falling, whispering to her with so much reverence, “I adore you, Kim Dahyun.”

And Dahyun felt it within her soul; the devotion. At that moment she realized, with her heart beating rapidly in her chest, that she wants to create a melody out of her, and she knew, she’s in love.

Before they went to sleep that night, Mina asked her in a tiny whisper, “do you regret it?”

Dahyun stared at her, peace in her heart, “no.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter might come out a week late or so because I need to start writing the last chapter. We have 3 chapters left and I don't want you guys to wait too long for the last one, hence, the delay. Plus, this is a good spot to leave you guys hanging for a bit :p Thank you for being patient with me and I'll see you in the next one, peace :D


	7. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I held my breath as we do sometimes to stop time when something wonderful has touched us." ~ Mary Oliver

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mood I had while writing this chapter [Let Me Follow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv0M-5RUFQM)  
> If you guys wanna visualize [Mina's sailboat](http://www.rcryachts.com/used/beneteau-37)  
> If you guys wanna visualize Santorini [Panoramic Views](https://www.santorini-view.com/panoramic-photos/)

Day after day they spent together it became apparent to Dahyun that she’s falling so deeply for Mina. Especially now that she knows the length the other girl would go for her; endless. She could feel the love radiating in every touch, in every action that it swelled her heart to bursting.

But there’s always a part of her holding her by the chest at the edge of the cliff. Holding her from falling deep into the abyss below that is Mina. Holding her from saying the words that she wanted so badly to utter. She resented it, the restriction of not being able to give her all despite what she’s feeling. However, everyone’s words kept ringing in her head; slowly they said.

But time is running out for them.

Next thing she knew, she’s almost at the end of her journey; two weeks left until her flight back to Korea. Even so, they don’t talk about it, but deep down she knew Mina was thinking of the same thing. That didn’t deter her heart though, trying its best to enjoy the moments they have with each other. As if they have all the time in the world in this haven that they have created with one another.

One morning she woke up, without Mina by her side and she felt her heart drop to her stomach.

“Mina?” She called and she breathed a sigh of relief when Mina answered back. The girl came bounding into the room, a huge grin on her face that her gums showed.

“Morning Dahyun,” Mina murmured, kissing her softly on the lips.

Dahyun hummed against her lips, deepening the kiss when she remembered how scary it was just moments ago. “Where were you?” Dahyun asked, pulling the girl to lay beside her, burying her face in Mina’s neck. She smelled like Dahyun’s shampoo.

“Preparing.”

“For what?”

“For our adventure of the day.”

Dahyun made a confused noise. “Where?”

“The ocean.” Mina brushed her hair aside, giving her forehead a kiss and giggling when Dahyun whined into her neck. “Do you trust me?” Mina asked, eyes glinting.

Dahyun sighed, a ghost of a smile on her face, “I do.”

They got ready and drove to a port located at Vlychada beach. It was small compared to the port she saw in Fira and there’s a lot of small boats docked around it. Since it’s morning, fishermen are out and about bustling on the port preparing for their journey. There’s even a few catamarans and yachts docked for the usual sailing tour of the island.

She followed Mina towards a medium-sized sailboat docked at the end of the port. It looked pretty worn especially with how the side of the boat is discolored and the lettering on the boat seemed to fade, but she could still make out the word ‘Minari’ from it. She remembered Mina telling her that her nickname with her family and friends in Japan is Minari. It’s a charming little thing and Dahyun was endeared by it.

Mina got on first to settle down the items they had brought, some fruits and packets of ramen. Then she came back for Dahyun to help her get on the boat. She helped Dahyun put on the vest, coo at how cute she looked swallowed by the thing.

“You want a tour?”

Dahyun nodded and Mina led her inside the boat. Going down the steps she took in her surroundings and was surprised at how spacious it looked. On the left side of her, there’s a counter with a sink and a small kitchen. There’s also a drop-leaf table fixed in the middle of the room with black couches mounted to the wall of the boat surrounding it. To her right, there’s a small table with what she could recognize as a communication device mounted to the wall.

She walked in further while Mina organized the items into a small fridge by the counter. She reached the door. On the other side is a quaint little bedroom with a bed, made to accommodate the shape of the boat.

She turned to leave and saw Mina waiting for her at the steps. “You can practically live here.”

“I’ve done that before.”

“Oh? Why?”

“To get away from everything,” Mina whispered, her smile pensive.

Dahyun gave her a kiss on the cheek and Mina smiled at her gratefully, kissing her fully on the lips. “It was a memorable experience, to be honest. So, it wasn’t all bad. Got to experience living on the sea.”

Dahyun didn’t push further.

They went up. Dahyun settled down on one of the seats and Mina checked what needed to be checked and prepared for the boat to undock from the port. When everything is done, they set sail.

It was calming, to be on the water like this. The breeze being the guide for them to their destination. She watched, fascinated at how Mina expertly handled everything, fiddling with ropes and masts as if she’s in her element. Pure concentration on her face like how she does her painting restoration. Her passion.

When they’re out in the open and the boat was stable enough, Mina relaxed, throwing her a little smile and beckoning Dahyun to her. She wobbled her way over because the boat was still fast enough, clinging to Mina when she got close.

“Do you want to try and steer?” Mina asked.

Dahyun blinked at her, somewhat confused. “What? You sure?” She chuckled nervously, but Mina only gave her a reassuring smile.

“I’ll help you, of course.” She turned Dahyun around, sat her on her lap and held her from behind, guiding her hands to the helm. “It’s a lot like driving, but with the wind. We’re at a perfect angle so it’s easy enough to steer.” She turned the wheel to the left and the boat moves too and does the same thing to the right.

Dahyun felt a rush of adrenaline when Mina lets her go, but she didn’t feel scared because she knew Mina would be there for her. She held the helm steady and Mina hugged her around the waist, resting her chin on Dahyun’s shoulder.

“You’re doing good.”

Dahyun let out a snort. “I’m just going straight ahead.”

“That requires skills too. Can you feel the movement of the boat?”

And Dahyun did feel it. With the way the wind blew through the sail and her hands automatically moving to steady the helm. She nodded and felt a ghost of a kiss on her shoulder.

“This was how my father taught me. Instead of relying on the tech of things, all he said was feel the movement of the boat, the wind and the waves crashing against it.”

“He sounds like a wise man.”

“He is. To a degree.”

Dahyun hummed, “how long have you done this? Sailing.”

“Since I could walk. Much like dancing. My father bought this boat when I turned 5 and named it after me. I’ve always loved the ocean as much as I love dancing. So, he found a way for me to enjoy it, other than swimming,” Mina explained, tone nostalgic. Then she asked, “when did you start playing the piano?”

“Same as you really. Since I could walk and understand what music is. My mom taught me how to play the piano and I was hooked since then. Making a career out of it even,” she said, smiling at the memories passing through her mind.

They sat next to each other after that, locking the helm in place, enjoying each other’s presence and the breeze of the ocean. It took them almost an hour to reach their destination, in which they filled the time with Mina spewing her little anecdotes about the cliffs and towns they’re passing. Then they reached an alcove; a tiny pocket of the cliff and Mina dropped anchor near it.

“This place is our go-to swimming area because there’s not a lot of people that stopped through here.” After everything was set, Mina started to undress. “We can swim around and then we’ll have lunch at the Mesa Pigadia area. It’s a very pretty place to dock at and sunbathe—"

She didn’t hear the rest nor make a move to change, watching Mina undressing with a grin on her face. She’s wearing a white bikini today and it reminded her of the tryst in the pool that they had a couple of days ago, making her blush not just from the sun. Then a shirt was thrown to her face, obscuring her view. She guffawed but then laughed when Mina sits on her lap, removing the article of clothing.

“Undress and swim with me.”

“I will if you get off of me first.”

When everything's off, they get in the water. It’s warm and comfortable, not as cold as she had expected. They swam around like how they used to back at the house, only this time the water is salty and deep enough that she felt like she’s floating on air.

The water is so clear that she could see fishes swimming underneath her, giggling when some small ones came to nibble on her toes. Then Mina pulled her close, face inches away from her.

“I want to kiss you," Mina murmured breathlessly.

Dahyun closed the gap and kissed her, but she only managed to give a peck because Mina pulled back, her smile mischievous.

“Take a deep breath.”

She did and Mina kissed her again, while at the same time she pulled them down underwater. It’s a surreal feeling, floating in nothingness, with all your senses deprived, but still attached to something tangible. Attached to Mina, as if she’s giving her trust and more. Even so, it wasn’t as scary as she had thought.

Mina pulled back from the kiss and pulled them out of the water. She held Dahyun tight by the waist, pressing their forehead together, smiling. But, Dahyun saw something else in her eyes, quickly hidden when Mina slotted her head against her neck.

“Hungry?” Mina whispered, a hitch in her voice.

Dahyun’s heart thumped, surprised at what she had seen, but she dismissed it. “Yeah, starving.”

They got back on the boat, drying each other off with a towel and started making their way to the next destination. They stopped near the shore of the Mesa Pigadia beach. The volcanic cliffs towered above it and the view made Dahyun take out her phone to capture it. Mina was in the kitchen preparing the lunch they had brought. She made ramyun.

Dahyun chuckled when Mina placed the pot on the table, but she loved it anyway and gave Mina a kiss on the cheek as thanks. It felt like home.

After they finished eating, they set sail again, this time to a fantastic view of the famous lighthouse, having a postcard photoshoot of it so that she could send it to her friends. She couldn’t help but take some pictures of Mina too, with the lighthouse as the background. She wanted to have this moment immortalized on her phone. She felt a twinge in her heart at the thought.

They set sail to the volcanic islands, circling it with Mina explaining the history of how it was formed. The sailing took about 2 hours until they reached the intended destination, dropping anchor at the hot spring located in a little alcove by the side of the island. They spent most of their time here swimming, eating and taking a nap in the boat until it’s time for the last part of the getaway.

Their last spot of the day was out in the water at the town of Oia that is known to be the most visited spot for sunset viewing. They dropped anchor near the port and sat side by side on the deck, basking in the sunset slowly descending on the horizon. It felt even more magical to be watching it this close, with no obstruction and just the infinite ocean. Especially when Mina is by her side. _But not for long._

Dahyun sighed, the thoughts that she had tried to suppress finally reached its peak. Accumulated slowly throughout the day. The thought gnawing at the back of her mind, trying to make itself known in every moment she spent with Mina. But there’s only so much Dahyun could do to ignore it. Reality is catching up to her and she has no time or place to run from it. She wondered if Mina felt the same.

“Dahyun, I have something to tell you.”

Dahyun turned her head to the side and Mina was already looking at her, the same expression she saw before was on her face. “Yes?”

Mina was quiet for a few seconds, the sound of the waves crashing against the boat was in tandem with the beat of her heart, occupying the space between them. It’s nerve-wracking, especially when the expression is something akin to sadness behind Mina’s eyes.

“I’m in love with you.”

“Oh.” Her heart skipped a beat. It was something that she didn’t expect Mina would say, especially when they had been tiptoeing their feelings with each other. Before she could process it, Mina turned her head towards the ocean.

“And I know that’s not something that you want right now.”

That admission stunned her. Why would Mina say something like that?

Mina continued. “I might not know the full story behind your pain, but I have witnessed something similar to it. _Heartbreak_.”

Dahyun felt her heart drop to her stomach. Her mouth dried and mind a hundred miles an hour. She doesn’t know where Mina is going with this. “It’s that obvious huh?” She asked, voice small.

Mina nodded. “You’re still hurting and I shouldn’t have pushed my feelings like this on you. Because it’s not right to do so and I’ve hoped that my feelings wouldn’t get this far,” she paused, contemplating. “But you can’t really stop something that you can’t grasp, can you?” Her eyebrows furrowed. “It’s addicting.” She smiled, lopsided, “loving you is addicting.” She laid her head on Dahyun’s shoulder. “But I’m glad that I could help you feel at ease, despite this being a one-time thing because you’re leaving next week.” She sighed out, “I’m happy that it’s you that I fell for. Even though you don’t feel the same back.”

The bubble they created had finally burst and the helplessness of the situation had reached its peak. Dahyun is about to leave in a week and there’s nothing they can do about it. But what shocked her the most was that Mina had thought it would just end here.

She felt calm, however, despite the dire situation. “You’re right, I came here heartbroken with no hope of healing.” She intertwined her hand with Mina. “But _you_ made me believe that I could heal. Slowly and surely and it might not even heal completely through, but I finally believed because of you.”

She took in a deep breath, she’s ready. “I love you too Mina and this isn’t just a one-time thing,” Dahyun confessed and Mina whipped her head towards her, surprise evidenced on her face.

“It’s not?” There’s hope in Mina’s eyes that Dahyun was sure she mirrored.

She shook her head. “Even if time is almost running out for us, it doesn’t mean the feelings would stop.” She pulled Mina by her neck and pressed their forehead together. “It just means that we have to cherish every moment we have left and love each other to bursting.”

It took a second for their lips to connect. Both not knowing who started first, both not caring. Dahyun cradled Mina’s jaw as she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, moaning when Mina pushed her tongue in, to get a little bit more taste of Dahyun; to savor it.

They broke off and Mina carefully led them back under the deck, undressing each other along the way. When they reached the bed, Mina pushed her down and straddled her. Kissing her deeply until they ran out of breath and even then, she didn’t stop. She peppered kisses along her neck and left marks so deep that Dahyun knew it’ll turn black and blue.

There’s a sort of desperation in her every kiss though. Dahyun felt it in every mark that she left as if Mina is trying to leave it permanently etched to her skin. And Dahyun didn’t mind it. She wanted it— _needed_ it even because Mina wasn’t the only one desperate.

When they’re done, sweaty and panting, body and soul intertwined so tight with one another did they stop. Judging from the darkness of the room, it’s already night time but they didn’t make a move to let go. Dahyun traced her finger along Mina’s face, remembering the bump and rise of the moles on her face. Something that she’s going to be doing a lot this remainder of days they have. Committing everything to memory.

“I love you, Kim Dahyun,” Mina whispered reverently.

She scooted closer despite them already being so close to each other, breath mingling. “I love you too, Myoui Mina.” And she meant it.

The next day, they sailed back to port in the early morning. Letting the wind guide them, they settled down to watch the sunrise, covered in a warm blanket with a cup of hot cocoa in hand. It’s a beautiful scene and there’s a sort of tranquility in watching it rose on the horizon.

Mina broke the silence, a peaceful smile on her face. “I have a plan.”

Dahyun grinned, heart fluttering as she laid her head on Mina’s shoulder. “Oh? What is it?”

Mina squeezed her hand. “Do you trust me?”

Dahyun let out a happy sigh, squeezing back. She breathed out, “Yes, I do.”

Mina’s plan was immediately commenced the moment they reached home (it felt like home to her than her house in Seoul). The only thing that Mina told her to do was to pack everything. Dahyun didn’t question it, following the other girl’s instruction and when she’s finished, Mina put her suitcase in the trunk alongside hers.

When they’re out on the road again, Mina’s playlist occupying the space in the car did she finally ask. “Where are we going?”

Mina looked at her briefly, grabbing her hand to intertwine in between them. “Everywhere.”

And Mina took her everywhere. Driving from town to town. Enjoying everything that it could offer. The culture, the history, the delicacies, and Mina was at the forefront of it all, guiding her along the way. It was the most spontaneous thing she had ever done and judging from the way Mina was also wholly unprepared, it was hers too, but it felt exhilarating because she trusts Mina with her whole being.

When there’s no place for them to stay, they would sleep in the backseat of the car, with the sea as the background noise that lulls them to slumber. In the morning they start their journey again, as a brand-new day to make more memories of each other.

On the last day of their journey, Mina took her to Imerovigli, a small town that holds a lot of history in its core, based on Mina’s description of it. It’s one of the places that she loves to go to in her spare time, walking through the old architectural buildings under the bright sun. They managed to find a place to stay and when night falls, they went out to enjoy it.

There were not a lot of people out and about after dark, safe for the bars and taverns that opened until the wee hours of the morning. They went to one, had a few drinks and walked out tipsy and giggly. Walking further deep, Dahyun heard music being played and she tugged Mina along to the sound of it.

They came across an open tavern. People were dancing on the makeshift dance floor, the music is handled by a guy with a laptop and a sound system, but they seemed to be having the time of their life. Naturally, they gravitated towards it, dancing with each other to mediocre music and pretty lights.

But then Dahyun needed a minute so she sat on one of the chairs, watching Mina dance by herself, bobbing her head to the music and moving like no one’s watching. It’s an endearing sight. Something that she won’t be able to see again come tomorrow.

_“I’m sorry, I can’t.”_

She heard those words again, but only this time, it’s her own voice reverberating in her head.

Her stomach churned, hands clammy and breathing short as the thought managed to encompass her whole mind. With blurred vision and heart-thumping loudly in her ear, she managed to get up from her seat and started walking the other way, but she stopped by a bush to let out the content in her stomach. After she wiped her mouth, she took off running, ignoring Mina’s voice calling out for her.

She doesn't know where her feet are taking her, only that she needed to run as far away as possible. She reached a chapel, a place that they had gone to in the morning. It was still open despite the time with not a soul around and she’s glad for it. She walked to the middle aisle, sitting in the pew with her head in her head.

Everything was beginning to spiral, and she felt it deep within herself. Her voice kept repeating the same sentences over and over again and she can guess what kind of conclusion she’s drawing herself into. History is repeating itself and this time, she’s the one that’s leaving.

She sighed into her hands, sobering up with a throbbing headache in the back of her head. Suddenly, she felt a presence sitting by her side, rubbing the back of her neck in a soothing motion and she knew who it was.

“Dahyun?” Mina called for her softly, rubbing her back now.

“I’m not okay yet. I-I’m not—” She sobbed into her hands.

“Talk to me Dahyun, what’s wrong?” Mina coaxed her.

Dahyun took a deep breath, hot tears falling down her cheeks as she tried to find the words to say. She leaned back and closed her eyes, afraid to look at Mina. She breathed out shakily, “I’m doing the same thing as her.”

“What do you mean?”

“Leaving.”

Mina hummed, grasping the situation now. “Whatever it is that’s happening, you’re not the same as her.”

“You don’t understand,” Dahyun sighed out.

“Then help me understand Dahyun, please,” Mina pleaded with her.

“She left me at the altar.” Mina’s hand stopped moving, the quietness deafening her ear. Then she intertwined her hand with Dahyun’s, rubbing it with her thumb. Dahyun took it as a sign to continue.

“We’ve been together for almost 4 years. We were inseparable,” she said wistfully, trying to take another deep breath, but her throat felt constricted. “I composed a song for her, and it took me _months_ to finish it. I poured everything into it, and it was going to be the song that’ll play when she walks down the aisle.” She squeezed Mina’s hand harder, tethering herself.

“But when the time comes, she didn’t—” She clutched her chest, more tears flowing. “She left a letter behind and all it said was, I’m sorry Dahyun, I c-can’t,” she sobbed, couldn’t contain the hurt in her chest any longer. “I couldn’t stop hearing those words in my head and _even now._ ” She felt herself crumbling.

Mina pulled Dahyun into her, hugging her tightly to her chest. The only sound filling the chapel is her muffled sobbing. She felt overwhelmed by her emotions as well as guilt, but Mina’s constant motion on her back and humming calmed her down slowly. Her nose felt stuffed and her head felt like it was filled with cotton.

She heard Mina sighed above her. Maybe, they just weren’t meant for each other and Mina is realizing it now. “How could I love you when I couldn’t even stop—”

“Dahyun.” Mina interrupted her. She tilted Dahyun’s head up, eyes peering deep into hers. “I knew the risk. I knew a broken heart wouldn’t heal that easily. Dahyun, I’m prepared to dive headlong into this.” She wiped the tears flowing down her cheeks. “Didn’t you say it yourself? Even if time runs out, the feelings never stop. I still love you Dahyun, with everything I’ve got.” She kissed Dahyun softly and Dahyun couldn’t help letting out a sob against her lips.

They kissed languidly for a while; lips salty from the tears. Mina pulled back and pressed her forehead against hers. “Was the piece you played the other day hers?” Mina asked.

Her eyebrows furrowed, confused by the question. “Yes. I couldn’t—I couldn’t play anything else. But it doesn’t hurt as much. Because I was ready to let it go.” She heard Mina hummed as if contemplating.

“Do you still remember?”

“What?”

“Your vow.”

Dahyun was stunned, taken aback by the question. “I-I do. Why?”

Mina stood up, extending her hand towards Dahyun and she took it, still dazed by the turn of event. Mina then dragged her towards the altar, her heartbeat going a million miles per hour just looking at it.

They stood facing each other with Mina holding onto her hands and that’s the only thing helping keep her grounded. She’s scared as the rush of memories standing on an altar buzzed in her mind, but she’s also curious as to what Mina was trying to do.

“What if, if you say your vow it’ll help you let go easier. Like how you did when you played the piano. I know it sounds…far fetched and cliché but from my experience, it helped in a way.” Mina rambled and Dahyun was speechless.

She was quiet for a bit and Mina became flustered. “Unless you want to, of course. It’s just that I had done something similar like this, letting go of something that you’ve kept for so long and I thought it might help.”

Dahyun pondered. It is somewhat a step that she has to take sooner or later. And Mina was right when she said it’s something that she had kept to herself all this time along with the music she composed. But is she ready to let Sana go? Is this even the right way to do it? Is it fair for Mina?

She peered into Mina’s eyes, seeing nothing but love and affection swirling in there. “No.”

Mina blinked slowly as if she’s catching up to the words. “And that’s okay too.” She smiled, reassuring Dahyun.

“I want to rewrite it.”

“Oh.”

She took a deep breath, “Myoui Mina,” she paused, Mina’s stunned expression gave her the encouragement she needed to keep going. “In these 3 months, you have managed to turn my world spinning back in its axis after it laid dormant for so long.” She chuckled, shaking her head, “God that’s so cheesy,” but then she got serious again. “What I’m trying to say is that, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t even think of moving forward. Stuck as I am, shouldering the pain on myself.” She squeezed Mina’s hands, “But then you came along and I finally believed that I could heal, that love isn’t a scary thing anymore and fate has a way to guide you to who you truly should be with. And that’s you, Myoui Mina.” She hugged Mina tightly to her, whispering into her ears, “I’m glad that you let me stay at your place.”

Mina hugged back, her chuckle watery, “You took the first step for agreeing Dahyun. I’m the one that should thank _you._ ”

But then Mina lets go, looking at her intensely with the gentlest smile Dahyun had ever seen. “Kim Dahyun,” she started, Dahyun’s heart skipped a beat. “I vow to wait for as long as it takes for you to come back to me. I know that this sounds bold and frankly very rushed, but _you_ are my first and last love,” she tilted Dahyun’s chin, “because it was written in the books for us to meet and fall for each other. And I trust fate will always bring you back to me.” She kissed Dahyun softly on the lips, “I’ll wait for you, I love you.”

In that tiny sanctuary that they created with one another, under divine eyes peering down from heaven, they made their vows.

They got back to the hotel hand in hand, laying down immediately with Mina spooning from behind, exhausted from the emotional whirlwind that they had just now. All they want to do is be close to each other.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“I want to stay here.”

“I know.”

“It’s gonna be hard.”

“It won’t be if we hold fast to it.” She turned Dahyun around, pressing her forehead against her. “As much as I want to keep you here all to myself, I can’t. That would be selfish of me,” she leaned and kissed Dahyun softly, “but for tonight,” she pushed Dahyun on her back, “let me be selfish one last time.” Peppering kisses on her neck, moving downward.

She woke up from the hustling and bustling sound of the city out the window. Mina’s warmth disappeared from her back, but she wasn’t scared. She turned around and found Mina perched by the window, watching the world outside. Dawn was breaking and the sun was slowly ascending, illuminating them and the room. She observed the serene expression on Mina’s face, and she realized it was the same for her too.

They stayed like that, letting the outside sound settle in the silence of the room until her alarm started blaring at them, signaling the start (ending) of a new day. They exchanged smiles; no word needed to break this calming atmosphere. They showered together, packed together and left the hotel hand in hand until they reached the car.

The whole drive was in silence, with no music playing, only the sound of their breathing filling the space. Even Dahyun’s mind was silent as she watched the world moving outside the car window. She imagined an entity was running beside them, always avoiding obstacles laid in front of it, keeping her mind occupied before the inevitable end. Her breath hitched and it seemed to alert Mina too because she grabbed onto Dahyun’s hand and intertwined it together, the act calming her down considerably.

When they reached the airport, Mina stayed by her side throughout the process. She checked in, they had breakfast and waited for Dahyun’s flight to be called. When it was called, Dahyun felt her heart drop to her stomach. She walked to the gate pulling her suitcase with Mina by her side.

She hugged Mina tightly and Mina does the same, to the point that she could feel her heartbeat beating against hers. When they separated, Mina kissed her, pouring every bit of love that she has to her and Dahyun does the same too. They stayed like that until her flight was called again, one last time.

“I love you,” she murmured against her lips.

“I love you too, so much Kim Dahyun,” Mina said with so much conviction and Dahyun believed her.

“I’ll text you when I land and every day until we see each other again. I promise.” Dahyun reached out her pinky finger and Mina intertwined it with hers.

She was the first to turn away, walking towards the gate. When she reached the end of the hallway, she looked back and saw Mina standing there, watching her, smiling brightly. She smiled back, keeping up a front. Even when she didn’t see Mina anymore, she felt the heat of her gaze on her back.

She kept it together through the hallway, through the tarmac and until she reached her seat. When the plane started moving to take off, the first tear fell and then the next and then more until they reached the air.

Everything became a familiar process as she goes through airport to airport. When the pilot announced that they would reach Seoul, she realized where she was. The twinkling of the light from the city is a familiar sight to her.

She walked out of the gate, her items already collected and saw a familiar face jumping up and down in the distance. She ran and hugged her best friend Chaeyoung, missing the warmth that she knew so well. She hugged Tzuyu next, slotting herself under her chin like usual.

“How was it?” Chaeyoung asked.

Dahyun was about to open her mouth when a face flashed in her head. Mina smiling when she first saw her in the kitchen. She gulped, throat tightening. “I-it was,” she stuttered and shuddered when another memory emerged, this time Mina’s face when it’s coated by the sunset.

“Dahyun? Hey, are you alright?” Chaeyoung gripped her shoulder, face worried and Dahyun realized she was crying again.

“I-I, don’t,” she sobbed into Chaeyoung’s shoulder because this time she heard it.

_“I’ll wait for you, I love you.”_

In the middle of the busy airport, crying on her best friend’s shoulder, Dahyun came to a realization as to why her chest felt hollow. Her heart isn’t there anymore, back at home a thousand miles away and she’s nowhere near it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and sorry for being kinda late with this, lack of inspiration be kicking my ass sometimes. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter and lemme know how you feel about it. I want to know if it made you feel the same way that it made me; pain. Or if it didn't lemme know either way, so I could crank it up for future fics ;) Stay safe guys.


	8. Do you trust me?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The piece Dahyun plays on her piano [Einaudi - Experience](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjlu9RRHcbE)

It didn’t take much convincing for the couple to bring Dahyun into their home. When they arrived, they let Dahyun occupy the couch while Tzuyu prepared the guest bedroom and Chaeyoung made three hot chocolates; adapted to this kind of situation involving her friend.

Dahyun was curled up on the couch, exhausted from the travel and the emotional train-wreck she just went through from the past hours. She stared at the black void of the tv, disgusted at how she looked like, eyes red and skin paler than usual. Before she could spiral again, Chaeyoung came back from the kitchen with a tray, setting it down on the coffee table.

She couldn’t even make eye contact with her friend, afraid of the disappointment that she’ll found in her eyes. What was supposed to be a healing trip, became a journey of self-discovery but ended with her even more disoriented than before; missing the person she left behind a thousand miles away across the ocean.

“Dahyun.”

Dahyun closed her eyes tight; what she couldn’t see, couldn’t hurt her.

“Dahyun,” Chaeyoung called for her again. “Just drink the damn hot chocolate, I’m not gonna berate you.”

Dahyun sighed but did what was told, getting up to sit and reached for the drink. She slowly sipped it, occasionally glancing at her friend that was staring at her with a pretty sick poker face. She tried to make it last longer, but unfortunately, Chaeyoung gave her the tiny square cup so she finished it quickly.

“So, are you going to fess up now?” Chaeyoung asked straight to the point, drinking her own hot chocolate.

“It’s surprising that Tzuyu hadn’t told you yet.”

“She already did, but I wanted to hear it from your mouth instead.”

“Oh.” She pouted. “Well, I didn’t tell her to keep it a secret,” she murmured, still stalling. But Chaeyoung saw right through her and just quirked an eyebrow.

Dahyun spilled out everything from the beginning. Much like how she did with Tzuyu but with an addition of what happened after their conversation. Gradually she calmed down, recalling back what could be her most treasured moments that she will hold tight to her heart; but at the same time wondering if it’ll stay just as that in the future; memories. She finished with a frown, twiddling her fingers.

“Did you guys break up?”

She whipped her head towards her friend, eyebrows furrowed. “What—No!”

“Then, what’s wrong Dahyun?” Chaeyoung asked gently.

_I’ll wait for you, I love you._

“I miss her." Her voice hitched. The couch dipped next to her and she was engulfed in a warm hug.

“You have such a soft heart Dahyun; like tofu,” Chaeyoung whispered, patting her head. It only prompted Dahyun to pout, cry and giggle at the same time in her friend’s arms.

“Shut. The. Hell. Your. Mouth.” She let out in between hiccups, but she still burrowed her face in Chaeyoung’s neck. She felt Chaeyoung’s shoulders shaking, indicating that her friend is trying to hold in her laugh. “Asshole,” she murmured, smiling.

Tzuyu came back into the living room, grinning when she saw that her favorite people are hugging and laughing with each other; a contrast to earlier. She sat next to Dahyun, rubbing her back. “Are you okay now unnie?” She asked.

Dahyun sighed, her heart felt a bit lighter than before. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into Chaeyoung. “I think I will be, Tzuyu.”

“So, have you called Mina yet?” Tzuyu asked.

Her eyes snapped wide open, pushing herself off Chaeyoung to run and grab her phone. She only heard a tail-end of a curse from Chaeyoung as she walked out towards the balcony. When she scrolled through her contacts, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. Her fingers were shaking that she almost dropped her phone a few times.

When she found Mina’s name with an 🐧 on the side she felt her heart stop. Her thumb was hovering over the call button, mind a million miles per hour wondering if Mina still wanted to talk to her. Wondering if she came to the conclusion that this isn’t going to work. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_I’ll wait for you, I love you._

She pressed it. A few rings later, Mina answered.

_“Hi baby, you’re in Seoul?”_

Dahyun took a deep breath to stave off the tears that were about to fall. “Y-yeah, I am. I landed an hour ago,” she stuttered a bit.

_“I’m glad.”_

It was silence for a few seconds as if there’s something building slowly between them. Listening to Mina breathing at the other side of the phone had her remember back when that was a reality. “I miss you,” she let out, too overwhelmed with the feeling of longing. She heard Mina inhaled sharply.

_“God, I miss you too Dahyun.”_

She sniffled, rubbing her eyes to stop the tears from falling, but ultimately failed when she felt her cheeks wet. “I-It felt like my h-heart was torn to p-pieces,” she stuttered, couldn’t stop the hiccups from messing up her words.

_“I felt it too. I-I cried in the car after you—”_

“Left?”

_“Yeah.”_

“We’re a mess,” she chuckled, watery. Her heart swelled when she heard Mina giggled too. She sat on one of the chairs, feeling the tiredness starting to creep up her body. “I hate that my thought boiled down to you regretting all of this.”

_“Oh.”_

“But then I heard your voice in my head. I remembered our vows to each other, and I believe in us all over again. I’m sorry that I even thought of that in the first place,” she said remorsefully.

_“Don’t be sorry. Our relationship is not really the most conventional, so it’s normal for you to think like that. I was—I had the same thought too. I thought you would regret it."_

“Oh.” It was Dahyun’s turn to feel surprised.

They were silent. Dahyun looked out towards the building, imagining the ocean that she was so used to see. Mina was right, it’s not the most conventional, but somehow it is so them in a way. Lovers separated by the ocean; bond forged so strong that it stretched from one end of the earth to the other.

“We’ll be fine,” Dahyun breathed out. They’ll make it work.

 _“We’ll be fine.”_ Mina said it back, conviction in her voice.

They talked for a bit, Dahyun retelling her journey back from Athens, Mina describing the things she’s seeing at the moment. When Mina pointed out that it’s almost 1 o’clock in Seoul did Dahyun realized how late it was.

 _"We can talk tomorrow Dahyun. You had a long flight and you need to sleep to fight the jet lag,”_ Mina coaxed her.

Dahyun was about to protest, but she yawned mid-way. “Fine,” she grumbled. She took a deep breath and exhaled, “I love you.”

_“I love you too Dahyun. Sleep well.”_

After she pressed the end call button, she sat for a few minutes on the balcony, ruminating in her thoughts and feelings. She loves Mina so much, even though the distance pained her, but she believed that it would work.

She got back into the house. It was already dark and quiet, so she assumed her friends had gone to bed. She heads toward her room, going through her nightly routine. When everything was set, she plopped on the bed, feeling every bit of exhaustion in her bone. Before she passed out, she heard the door creaked open and felt the bed dipped. Two bodies laid down beside her, cuddling into her. She lets out a happy sigh, letting her friends maneuver her so they could get comfortable. When it’s done, she finally lets herself succumb to sleep surrounded by her friends’ warmth and Mina’s I love you playing a loop in her head.

She stayed with the Chaeyu’s for almost a week, both stating that they want to spend an absurd amount of time with her because she wasn’t around for almost 3 months. Dahyun lets herself be dragged from place to place, spending time with them and catching up to things.

Chaeyoung managed to snag a pretty huge project that was sure to boost herself up whereas Tzuyu got a modeling gig in Taiwan next month (of course Chaeyoung would follow). She’s happy for them but talking about work had her stomach churned a little. She believed that she’s ready to start composing again. However, she has a bit of a hard time searching for some inspiration. Jihyo hadn’t been pestering her, so she took that as a sign that it’s still okay for her to come back whenever.

She talked to Mina every day too. The other girl finally has a project she’ll be working on at the other side of the island, restoring a mural of a church. They would send pictures throughout the day, ranging from what they’re eating to silly selcas if they’re feeling bored. It still pained her that she couldn’t physically be with Mina, but the message helped curb her ache. It even gave her a sense of security. That both of them still wanted this.

On Sunday, Chaeyoung drove her back home. She checked her inbox first, gathering all the letters that seemed to accumulate throughout her absence and brought it up to her apartment. When she opened the door, the familiar scent of her home waft through her, instantly giving her a sense of calmness.

Everything was in place as if she had never left 3 months ago. Even so, it was a bit musty, so she opened the windows. She cleaned what needed to be clean; her clothes, the bedsheets, opening every window to air out the rooms and so on. It took her about an hour to do so and when she’s done, she sat on the couch in exhaustion. Before she could take a nap, her phone rang. It was Mina face-timing her.

“Hey there,” Dahyun greeted with a smile.

 _“Hey, babe.”_ Mina greeted back, smiling widely.

The pet name made her blush, despite hearing it countless times. “What’s up?”

_“I just miss you, is all. What’re you doing?”_

“I was cleaning my place, officially home after a week staying at Chae’s,” she explained, one hand holding the phone while the other sift through her mails. “Now I’m looking through my mails, see what bills I’m gonna have to pay and all. Might even take a nap after this too.”

_“Wait before that, can I make a request?”_

Dahyun hummed, still going through until her eyes caught a familiar handwriting on one of the envelopes. She froze, heart racing at the sight of her name written at the front of an envelope, in familiar purple ink. She snapped out of it when Mina called for her.

“Huh, what?”

 _“I was asking if I could have a tour of your place. You okay Dahyun? You look kinda pale.”_ Mina’s face was close to the camera, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

“I, yeah! I’m okay,” she smiled, too wide for it to be sincere, but it seemed Mina didn’t notice it. Before she lets Mina ask more, she cuts her off. “Sure, I’ll give you a tour.” She immediately forgot about her dilemma when she started the impromptu tour, bringing Mina (in her phone) to her room.

_“That’s a pretty looking piano.”_

“Thanks, it’s my first one that I bought with my own money.” She reminisced back to Mina about when she got her first paycheck from being a full-fledged composer. How she dragged Chaeyoung with her to go buy it and then played with it all through the night because she was so excited.

_“That’s nice.”_

She beamed at her, “it was. Do you want me to play something on it? You can choose anything.” She saw Mina nod through the screen and propped the phone against a box she found lying on the floor. She looked at the girl encouragingly.

_“Hmmm, I can’t really think of any. How about you choose Dahyun.”_

She cracked her knuckles, thinking of what piece to play. She already played Sana’s piece for her, but then she remembered that one piece she loves to play whenever she was down (before Sana occupied her mind 24/7). She dedicated herself to practice it for almost a month, trying her best to perfect it to the point she doesn't need the music sheet. The reason why is because it was a piece that inspires her, so only playing it wasn't enough. She needed to feel it in every push of her fingers.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let her fingers move. She played it without a hitch and even improvised it a bit to make it more flourish. When she’s finished, she heard Mina clapping enthusiastically and she couldn’t help but smile widely at the girl.

_“That was brilliant Dahyun. It’s like I could feel it through the screen.”_

She blushed at the compliment, “thank you, Mina. It’s not really an original, but I love the piece so much because it resonates with me. Plus, the composer is like one of my role models, so.” She shrugged, trying to play it cool but ultimately failed when Mina smiled at her proudly.

 _“Even so, it was beautiful, like you.”_ Mina winked at her.

Dahyun chuckled at that, “Shush it.” She got up from her seat and took the phone off the makeshift stand, “let’s continue on with the tour.”

She took Mina all around the apartment, showing her everything and telling her the story behind every knick-knack that she has. It reached its end when she sat back on the couch.

_“I love your place.”_

“Thanks, but I think I love your place more.” She was about to relax back into the couch when she spotted the envelope again. This time she couldn’t hide the grimace on her face and Mina noticed it.

_“Dahyun, what’s wrong sweetheart?”_

Dahyun contemplated whether to tell Mina about it or not. She did think about meeting with Sana to settle this once and for all, but she wanted to do it quietly to not stress Mina out with her stressing out. Especially with how far they are from each other. But when she thought about it more, it’s better to not keep secrets like this.

“I have a letter here,” she grabbed for it and showed it to Mina. “I’m pretty sure it’s from Sana.”

_“Oh.”_

“Yeah… what is up with her and letters.” She chuckled mirthlessly.

_“Have you read it?”_

“Not yet. I just got it from my inbox.” She tapped her thigh rhythmically, trying to calm herself.

 _“Do you want me to leave you to it…?”_ Mina trailed off; her face was visibly concerned.

Dahyun bit her lip, conflicted. She doesn’t think it would be any harm if Mina stayed. Hell, it might help her to have support. “No, it’s okay. Stay with me, please.”

_“Of course.”_

She propped her phone onto the coffee table with the screen facing her and carefully opened the envelope, hands shaking when she pulled the letter out. It was the same feeling of anxiety she had when she opened the first letter Sana gave her. She unfolded it and the first line had her breath caught in her throat. She read it aloud to Mina.

_Dear Dahyun,_

_I’m sorry for popping in like this into your life, even though I was the one that left it so abruptly. I know that it’s selfish of me to ask this from you, but I need to see you again. Maybe closure between the both of us will be the thing that would end this properly. You can pick the time and place that you want. My phone number ~~is still the same~~ is XX XXXX XXXX._

_Sincerely, Sana._

After she finished that, instead of anxiety bubbling in the pit of her stomach, it was hurt. She didn’t realize she was frowning and clenching her jaw until Mina pointed it out.

_“Dahyun, are you okay? How are you feeling?”_

She took in a breath and exhaled it harshly. The action had her feeling light-headed and it felt as if her lungs were burning. She wanted to tell Mina what she’s feeling, but the words were stuck in her throat.

“How dare she,” she said, voice shuddering. “To just barge into my life as if she didn’t ruin it.” She didn't know why but the emptiness in the letter hurt her. As if she doesn't matter anymore to the other girl.

_“Dahyun, follow my breathing honey. You’re going to pass out if you keep going at it.”_

She didn't even realize she was breathing heavily. She was at the cusp of feeling angry.

_“Take a deep breath for 8 seconds, hold for 4 and release through your mouth for 7. Yes, like that, just follow my breathing honey.”_

Dahyun did just that, feeling her anger dissipating slowly. It took almost a minute to get her heartbeat down to the point that she could breathe easily. When she looked back at Mina, she felt embarrassed that the girl saw her like that. “I’m sorry I acted like that. I’m just so… hurt. And I feel disappointed with myself for feeling _hurt._ "

_“It’s okay Dahyun. You’re allowed to feel that and whatever feeling that you’re having. It’s perfectly normal.”_

She felt her chest warm at that. “Thank you, Mina. I need to think this through. I-I want closure too, but this is just so sudden, I guess.” She sighed.

_“Whatever that you do Dahyun, I’ll support you. I’ll be here for you.”_

She smiled gratefully. "I think I need a nap.” She lay down on the couch.

Mina did an action of pulling the phone to her chest then pulling back, gummy smile visible. _"I_ _wish I could be there to properly comfort you, but alas, all I can give you is an air hug.”_

Dahyun giggled at that, feeling her chest warmth at the gesture. “And that’s enough for me. I love you." she sighed out.

_"I love you too Dahyun."_

They bid farewell and Dahyun finally let’s go of her phone, placing it on the table. She read the letter again, trying to find if there’s some sort of trap in those words. But it was straight to the point, with no hidden meaning (just like last time). She does the breathing exercise that Mina taught minutes ago and in no time, she felt herself relax into the couch to the point of slumber.

It took her three days to decide on the place and date of the meeting. The reason why she’s quick to decide was because she called Chaeyoung to tell her about this predicament and gained info that Sana had met her the other day.

“You didn’t think to tell me about it?” She asked. She’s not angry per se, but she’s slightly annoyed that her friend knew about this and didn’t just tell her.

_“I don’t think it’s my place to say anything. Besides, it’s better if it came from her than from me, you know?”_

She sighed, scratching her neck. “I know. I’m just a bit on edge with this.” A telltale of a headache was beginning to form at the back of her head. “But thanks for telling me.”

_“No problem. Take care Dahyun. Just… listen to her, okay?”_

She doesn’t know what to make of that. Especially when it came from her friend that had hated Sana at the drop of a hat for her.

When the day came, she slowly made her way to the coffee shop. She chose the one located in the middle of her place and Sana’s, making it a sort of neutral ground. She texted Mina about it and Mina responded with a _fighting_ and a sticker of a penguin cheering. She felt a bit better when she saw that.

She could feel her heartbeat slowly increasing the nearer she was to the shop. Sana had arrived earlier and was waiting for her. Before she reached the front door, she stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and took in a deep breath.

_I’ll wait for you. I love you._

She exhaled through her mouth slowly and with a determined chant, she trudged onward. She pushed the shop’s door open, the sound of the bell ringing in her ears. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the back corner of the café (because that’s where Sana likes to sit) and she saw her. When their eyes met, it felt like the wind got knocked out of her. There she was, beautiful as ever, the woman she had once love, now loved.

She walked slowly towards Sana and sat down in front of her. Sana hasn’t changed so much since the last time she saw her. Only her hair is different, medium length and brunette, instead of the blonde she was used to. Both sat in silence, taking in each other. Both not knowing how to start a conversation of their end. A waitress suddenly came, breaking their staring match and puts down their order. Sana with her overly sweet drink and Dahyun with her iced chocolate.

“I took the liberty of ordering for you. So that you don’t have to stay for too long.” Sana smiled at her awkwardly.

“Thanks,” she mumbled, taking a sip of it. The scene felt familiar, them drinking together at a café but at the same time so foreign because they don’t know how to act with each other. It felt like torture, sitting in front of the person that once knew everything about her, but now a stranger. She couldn’t take it anymore. “What exactly do you want Sana?” She asked coldly.

“To explain what happened,” Sana answered, but then she looked at Dahyun straight in the eyes, “and to apologize.”

Dahyun wanted to be petty and hurt her with words that she’s been keeping deep inside herself, but she noticed the bags under Sana’s eyes and how lifeless the other girl looked despite the heavy makeup. She remembered what Chaeyoung said. “Then explain.”

Sana lets out a sigh of relief, but then she tensed back, twiddling her thumbs as if she's having a hard time to start. “Do you remember that friend I’ve told you about, the one I lost contact with back in Japan.”

Dahyun tensed, hands balling into fists to stop the tremor. “Momo?”

Sana nodded. “She wasn’t… just a friend back then, to me. I was in love with her, but I didn’t get the chance to tell her that because I moved here.” Sana fiddled with her sleeve and Dahyun knew what it meant; the girl is anxious. “She came to Korea last year, to pursue her dream of opening a dance studio here,” she cleared her throat. “We accidentally met each other when I was getting lunch on my break. Her dance studio was a couple of blocks away from my office—we,” she sighed. “We started talking and it felt so natural because we just pick up where we left off and—” she stopped, taking a breather.

Dahyun was glad that Sana stopped because she was having difficulty to stop her mind from overthinking. The constant question that kept looping in her mind was, ‘did Sana cheat on her?’ But she knew Sana and she’s not the kind of person that would do something as awful as that. But she did leave her at her own wedding. She lets out a shuddering breath.

“I tried my hardest to stop the feelings from resurfacing because the one I love was you. But in the end, I couldn’t.”

“Did you cheat on me?” She didn’t know what possessed her to just ask like that, but she couldn’t stop herself. It was getting too suffocating and she just wanted this conversation to end so she could go home and be with—talk, _talk_ to Mina.

Sana snapped her head toward her, surprised, “No! I would never do that to you Dahyun.” Her hand surged forward to grab onto Dahyun’s but she was quick to pull back, letting it hang between them. “I could never do that to you Dahyun. That’s why I—that’s why I left.” She shook her head, eyebrows furrowed. “I know that was the stupidest thing to do and that I should’ve talked to you about it, but I wasn’t the most _rational_ when I’m under pressure.”

“I know that well,” Dahyun said calmly. Her anxiousness was waning, but it still lingered.

“I realized in that dressing room that I couldn’t give you a hundred percent of myself, not when I still have feelings for Momo. So, I ran. I—” she sobbed.

Dahyun immediately held her hand, ignoring how warm it is and how much she missed it.

“I’m so s-sorry Dahyun. I hurt you. I thought I was doing the right thing. But all I did was hurt you so deeply.” She continued crying, almost hysteric.

Dahyun got up from her seat, pulling her chair along to sit next to Sana and ignoring the looks people were giving them. She engulfed Sana in a hug, letting the girl sob into her shoulder. Despite everything, despite the pain, she could never truly hate Sana. She comforted Sana as best as she could, rubbing her back slowly until she felt Sana’s shoulders stop shaking.

It felt like eons but it was only a couple of minutes until Sana stopped. She felt the girl pushed herself away, still sniffling. “I truly am sorry Dahyun.”

Dahyun observed her, taking in the face that had never left her mind all those months ago, the face that had haunted her to the core of her dreams. Until she met Mina that is. “I forgive you Sana. I think I already did a long time ago.” She sighed, “I’m too tired to hold a grudge or even have one in the first place. I want this closure as much as you do too.”

Sana smiled at her, a genuine one that Dahyun felt her heart twinge at it.

“Have you confessed to her yet?” Dahyun asked.

Sana looked stunned by the question but nod, nonetheless. “She was the one that snapped me out of it. I was so wrapped up with the idea that what I did was right that I didn’t stop to think about how you would feel. I thought if you hated me strongly enough, it’ll be easier for you to forget me.”

“Trust me, it’s not.” Dahyun chuckled listlessly. “I could never hate anyone, no matter what.” She reached out for her drink and chugged it in one go, hoping that it was alcohol instead, but she knew that would never help her. It was time for the main question. The question that had been brewing inside her mind during Sana’s absence. “Are you happy Sana?”

They sat in silence again. Before Dahyun could take it back, Sana answered.

“I am,” she murmured, afraid that those words would hurt Dahyun even more, but instead, it was the opposite.

“Then nothing else matters. I found my happiness too. Before this, I wished that it would’ve been you, but now I’ve fully accepted it. Fate has a way to bring us to the right person, painful as it is.” She hugged Sana, one last time. “I hope this will be the last time I see you, Sana.” In more ways than one. She felt the girl tensed in her arms, but then she relaxed against her.

“I understand.”

She pulled back and held Sana’s face in her hands. “Thank you for all the wonderful years you’ve loved me.”

Sana closed her eyes and held onto Dahyun’s hands. “Thank you for letting me love you and loving me back as much.”

“Goodbye Sana.”

“Goodbye Dahyun.”

They smiled at each other; heart finally light.

Dahyun lets Sana go and stood up from her seat. She turned around and walked away toward the door. Never once she looked back.

She took the scenic route back to her home, walking alongside the river with the sunset as her background. She stopped to bask in it, watching it descend slowly in the distance. It reminded her what Mina had told her once upon a time. About how watching the sunset elsewhere after experiencing it Santorini would never feel the same.

“Mina was right. It really is different,” she murmured. She walked to a grassy area of the river and sat there facing the sunset. She took out her phone and facetime Mina then and there. A few minutes past until Mina answered, her signature gummy smile on display. “Hello.”

_“Hello, Dahyun. How did it go? And where exactly are you?”_

“It went,” she paused, “well I guess.” She shrugged. “And I’m near the river, just sitting and watching the sunset.”

 _“Oh? Just well?”_ Mina prodded.

She nodded. “There were tears, apologies, and goodbyes. I feel free. It’s hard to explain,” she huffed, frustrated that she doesn’t know how to get her point across.

_“It’s okay baby, take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”_

And Dahyun did. Pouring out everything to Mina. Piecing together what she truly felt. She felt anxious to meet with Sana at first, then those feelings turned to fear and anger, but then it ended with her feeling the most peaceful she’d ever felt. “We really needed this closure. I feel like I can move forward now. Like I can breathe easy.” A realization hit her, “I finally know that it wasn’t my fault.” Her voice hitched.

_“I’m glad you feel that way Dahyun. I truly do.”_

She hummed, hand rummaging in her pocket and she got a hold of something. She took it out and it was a bracelet.

_“What is it Dahyun?”_

“It’s the bracelet that I bought for Sana. I wanted to give it to her, but I forgot that I had it in my pocket. I don’t think she would want it now, especially when I told her I would never see her again.” She sighed, looking out toward the river. An idea popped into her head. She stood up and walked to the edge of the river.

_“What’re you doing?”_

She looked at the bracelet then at Mina. “Letting go.” She chucked the bracelet into the river with the most dramatic yell ever. She heard Mina laugh and it made her laugh too, looking like a lunatic to the people around her.

 _“That was very over the top,”_ Mina said in between her wheezing.

“It was necessary.” She sat down and laid on her back toward the sky, imagining Mina laying beside her looking at the same thing. “Mina?”

_“Yes, Dahyun?”_

“I love you, so, so much." Her throat tightened. "We’re going to be fine right?”

_“Dahyun.”_

She stared at Mina’s very pretty face, who was smiling at her adoringly.

_“I love you too. And we’ll be fine. Do you trust me?”_

Dahyun felt her heart swelled at that. “I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of the last chapter, BUT, there will be an epilogue. I just need to write it is all. Thank you for still sticking around reading this fic and I hope it gave you a sort of happiness the same way it gave to me. See ya'll in the next one, peace. Thank you Chiyu for being my test subject for this chapter 😌


	9. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, sorry for being late with this. I've been taking my time with this one to make sure that it's a good epilogue for this whole thing. I wasn't actually planning to write one in the first place, but I grew too attached to this story and kinda wanna see an epilogue for it. Enjoy :)
> 
> the hotel if you guys wanna imagine it (it's a video) [Grace Santorini](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOm4NiBlUrI&t=593s)
> 
> Example picture of the [venue](https://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/stefano-valentina/livio-lacurre-santorini-wedding-photographer-047.jpg)
> 
> The link leads to the piece Dahyun is playing. If you guys want to listen go for it and if not that's okay too.
> 
> Beta-read by Ange and Chiyu <3

Her hands moved automatically as she pushed the keys on her beloved piano. Creating a melody translated from deep within her heart. She was about to really get into it when her pinky finger pressed a different key, disrupting the whole piece. She stopped in her tracks, blowing air through her nose; frustrated. She was about to start over again when she heard her phone ring.

She checked who it was and smiled widely when she saw that it was Mina. It was a video call, so she propped the phone up to answer it. Mina’s face appeared on the screen, smiling her signature gummy smile at her. Her new blonde hair was something that she still hasn’t gotten used to, even though she was the one that helped with it.

_“Hey, baby.”_

“Hey, babe. I thought you wanted to call me tomorrow. Is something up?”

_“I just had a feeling that you’re not asleep yet and I was right. You do know what time it is right?”_

She looked at the clock and smiled at Mina guiltily. “It’s uh, 4 o’clock in the morning.” She could hear Mina huff on the other side, and she pouted. “I didn’t realize it.”

_“You do have a tendency to do that when you try to create a masterpiece.”_

“Well, I could hardly call it a masterpiece—”

_“That’s because you wanted it to be perfect when it’s already perfect enough.”_

Dahyun pouted, her shoulders sagging. “I missed a note just now.”

_“That’s most probably because you’re tired and your fingers need a rest.”_

Dahyun chuckled, wiggling her eyebrows at the implication. Mina chuckled, getting close to the camera. _“Maybe you can show me that tomorrow,”_ she said with a low voice and a wink.

Dahyun felt her cheeks flush. “Mina w-what do you m-mean,” she stuttered badly.

Mina laughed loudly covering her face. It only further embarrassed Dahyun, but she laughed alongside the girl too.

 _“Moving on.”_ Mina wiped the tears from her eyes. _“Go and lie down Dahyun.”_ She did the same too on the other side of the camera, puffing up her pillow and readying herself to sleep.

It’s a thing that they tend to do now, lying on the bed with the phone propped up on the pillow if they’re not using the laptop. She looked back at the piano and then at her bed, sighing as she got up to do what was told. When her head hits the pillow, she could feel how exhausted her body was. It felt like gravity was pulling her to sink deep into the bed, until she reached the other side. She groaned.

 _“Told you so,”_ Mina reprimanded softly.

Dahyun grumbled. “I need to make this as perfect as possible. Got a huge responsibility on my shoulders,” she mumbled, face pressed against the pillow.

Mina hummed. _“And it will be perfect, like every other piece you’ve created. They’re going to love it for sure.”_

“Can’t believe both of my best friends are about to get married.”

_“Not really that surprising, considering their history.”_

Dahyun shrugged, smiling. “I can’t wait to see you,” she murmured.

 _“We saw each other 3 months ago Dahyun,”_ Mina teased.

Dahyun whined, “two weeks is not enough, and you know that.”

 _“I know baby, I miss you a whole lot too.”_ Mina yawned, her eyes drooping.

Dahyun smiled at how cute she looked. “Sleepy time.”

_“Mmhmm.”_

“Then let’s go to sleep. I love you Mina, goodnight.” She waved to the phone.

Mina waved back. “ _Goodnight baby, love you too.”_

They ended the call at the same time and Dahyun lay on her back to look at the ceiling. There’s a splatter of glow in the dark stars plastered to her ceiling, courtesy of Chaeyoung because she wanted to be reminded of Mina’s place when they stargazed on one of the balconies. They’ve been together for almost two years now, still holding on despite the distance. She visited Mina a few times throughout. Each time making it harder for her to leave.

She’s going back again next month for Chaeyoung’s wedding. Her friend decided to hold it there because she fell in love with the place the same way Dahyun did. She also asked Dahyun to be Best Woman, something that is quite nerve-wracking, in her opinion. But she felt honored that Chaeyoung still wanted her to be by her side on one of the biggest days of her life.

Because of this, she planned to surprise Chaeyoung by playing a piece she created when it was time to give her Best Woman’s speech. Hence the sleepless night of creating and altering what she already had; a feat in and of itself. She also had another plan up her sleeve, but this one required a lot more effort for it to come to fruition, especially when it had been in motion for the past few months. She could feel herself slowly drifting to sleep, groggily setting up her alarm so she could wake up in time to meet Jihyo for a meeting.

* * *

She almost didn’t make it on time. She slept past her alarm, but she managed to wake up half an hour after it, albeit flustered and groggy. She rushed through her morning routine, skipping shower, and only brushing her teeth. Putting on a baggy hoodie and checkered pants, she headed off to their meeting point, which was the café down the street from her home. She power-walked there and when she arrived, she let out a breath of relief. Jihyo wasn’t here yet.

She ordered a hot chocolate for herself and brought it to the table located at the back of the café. As soon as she sat down, Jihyo walked in through the door, looking neat and refreshed, in comparison to her. She spotted Dahyun and waved, making her way towards the counter to order. When she got her drink, she made her way to the table.

“Hey Dahyun,” she greeted with a hug and kiss on the cheek. “You look like shit,” she teased, taking a seat opposite of Dahyun.

“Hey, Jihyo.” Dahyun greeted back, putting on an innocent face. “Whatever do you mean?”

Jihyo rolled her eyes playfully. “Sure, you don’t.” She took out her laptop and a folder. “Shall we start?” She asked, facing the laptop towards them so it’ll be easier to see.

Dahyun sighed, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Jihyo gave her a small smile. “Negotiating a new contract is a pretty lengthy process.” She shuffled the legal documents around. “It’s not impossible, just… hard.”

Dahyun read the document Jihyo handed to her. “I know, we’ve been going through this for months now.”

“Well, at least our last lawyer lets us have this as a ‘parting’ gift.”

They had a lawyer before to help them, but at the last minute he backed up from this, rendering their progress almost to a stop. Apparently, he couldn’t help because the company was a bigger fish, so to speak. But he left them with the document they needed.

Dahyun hummed. They’ve been working together to figure out how to negotiate Dahyun’s current contract. She wanted to be able to still work for the company, even if she was somewhere out of Korea. Somewhere like... Santorini, for example. But the company had been adamant about keeping her here, even though it wouldn’t be too much of an issue. Besides, most of her work is done at home, unless she needed to use the studio equipment. This was an easy enough fix though because the studio could be easily replicated and set up in Mina’s home. 

They’d been pouring over documents for almost an hour, trying to make sure that it was as airtight as possible. But she could feel herself growing frustrated because she didn’t know where else to look.

“I have a thought.”

She glanced at Jihyo, curious. The girl was biting her lip, contemplating whether to voice her thoughts. “What is it?”

“Sana is a lawyer, right?” Jihyo asked sheepishly.

Dahyun felt her jaw slacken, peering at Jihyo with wide eyes. “You’re not saying—”

“—That we should hire your ex to help with this. Maybe.”

She blinked rapidly, still processing what Jihyo had asked of her. She mulled over her thoughts. She had thought about it before and having a lawyer could help speed up the process. But having a lawyer that you had a relationship with is a whole different ball game. She could hire someone else, but they both knew Sana was a big deal given her record. Under that sweet and soft personality lies a ruthless woman, exceptionally good at her job.

“Maybe,” Dahyun said.

“If you can’t then it’s okay, Dahyun. We can find someone else—”

“No, no. It’ll be fine, I think. We can be professional.”

“Are you sure?” Jihyo looked her in the eyes.

“I’m sure.” 

She’s not.

After almost 3 hours in the café, they called it a day and left. When she reached her apartment, she sat down on the couch and sank into it, hands coming to cover her eyes. Her head felt like it was about to explode with how complicated things were becoming. She knew she couldn’t back down now, not when her and Mina’s happy ending was at stake.

She stewed in her thoughts until night fell. When it was time, she called Mina for their weekly video call. The sight of her girlfriend instantly perked her up. But even so, Mina seemed to pick up the mood she was having.

_“Hey, baby. You okay?”_

She shrugged, trying not to give her secret surprise away. “Just having a hard time work-wise.”

Mina cooed, looking helpless herself. _“Do you wanna talk about it?”_

“It’s okay Mina, I don’t feel like thinking about it,” She sighed. “Just wanna hang out with you without having to think of anything else.”

_“Oh.”_

Dahyun peeked at her phone, looking at Mina. “What?”

_“Do you want an air hug?”_

Dahyun looked at her in wonder, feeling herself falling even deeper if that was possible, which was possible. She nodded and brought the phone to her chest as Mina did the same. She imagined herself being hugged by Mina, remembering the warmth and scent of the girl she loves the most. The girl that’s waiting for her on the other side of the world. The girl that she wanted to spend the rest of her days with. She’s not going to let something as silly as fear ruin it, especially when she’s so close.

“Thank you, Mina,” she murmured, pulling the phone back so she could see her.

Mina smiled at her warmly. _“No problem. Anything for you, Dahyun.”_

Dahyun felt her chest tighten, taken aback at how impactful those words were. She smiled brightly; her shoulders feel a little lighter than before.

They talked until it was time for her to sleep. Her last thought before she drifted off to dreamland was how close she was to be with Mina, and that she’d do everything in her power to make it happen.

* * *

She scheduled an appointment to meet with Sana, in a more formal setting. She was trying to make this ordeal as professional as possible. Luckily, Sana had an opening 3 days later after the call, so she prepared herself with the documents she had compiled and waited. When her appointment day arrived, she made her way to Sana’s office, confidence in every step. She greeted the secretary and in a matter of minutes, she was ushered into a meeting room.

She froze by the door but was snapped out of it when the secretary opened it to announce her arrival. Sana was already in the room waiting for her. She thanked the secretary and made her way in, smiling at Sana who was standing up to greet her.

“Hello Ms. Kim.” She extended her hand for a handshake.

Dahyun was stunned but shook her hand back, confused at the name. “You don’t really have to be so formal with me, you know.”

“To be honest I don’t know where the line is for this. I’m trying to be as professional as I can.” Sana smiled apologetically.

Seeing Sana like this made all her anxiousness disappear, because apparently, she wasn’t the only one that was nervous. “Meeting you here is already considered professional enough so you can drop the formality.” She pouted, “It makes me feel old.”

Sana chuckled, “well, we aren’t exactly in our prime anymore Dahyun-ah.”

The familiarity of the banter made it feel like the ice was finally broken between them.

“Take a seat, Dahyun, so we can get started.” She pointed to the one next to her.

Dahyun explained to Sana about what she had been up to, the girl nodding along while skimming through the documents Dahyun had brought. The meeting lasted for almost 2 hours with Sana explaining and going through what needed to be amended. Apparently, the document that the last lawyer left them was very incomplete and if Dahyun brought it to the meeting with the company she could’ve been in trouble. They took a break when it neared lunchtime.

“You okay, Dahyun?” Sana asked, chuckling at the exhausted look on her face.

“There’s a reason why I’m more inclined to music,” she sighed.

“Come on, let’s have lunch. We can continue after,” Sana coaxed her.

They got out of the meeting room and took a detour to Sana’s office. When she walked in after, there was another person inside, sitting on the sofa. She stopped in her tracks and looked at the girl. Sana didn’t notice her yet. She seemed familiar, but Dahyun couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Momo, you’re here,” Sana finally noticed, startled.

 _Oh_. Dahyun froze, looking like a deer caught in headlights as she looked at both Sana and Momo, not knowing how to react.

Momo didn’t seem fazed by their reaction or maybe she’s good at hiding it. “Yeah, thought we could grab lunch together.” She turned to Dahyun, extending her hand for a shake. “I’m Momo, nice to meet you.”

Dahyun shook back, smiling awkwardly. “Kim Dahyun.”

“Oh.”

The realization finally hits for the three of them. The air in the room seemed to thicken. Dahyun tried to think of a way to make it out of there unscathed, but Momo beat her to it.

“Would you like to have lunch with us?” Momo asked.

Or so she thought.

“I would love to,” Dahyun answered, surprised by herself.

Momo smiled. “Great, I was thinking of that auntie’s place that we went to last week,” she addressed Sana.

Sana finally snapped out of it, nodding along and grabbing her handbag. “Sure.”

They walked together to the restaurant, Dahyun hanging back because she didn’t know how to act and both seemed to understand. She observed as her ex-fiancée treats her girlfriend. The looks and smiles that were once directed at her, are now directed at someone else. But she didn’t feel resentful. In fact, it made her feel genuine happiness for Sana because she looked radiant compared to the last time they met.

She observed Momo next, different from how she imagined her to be. She could feel the genuineness in every word and every action she exhibited. She radiated warmth and Dahyun couldn’t help but feel charmed by her. She whispered something to Sana, prompting the other girl to burst into giggles, and Dahyun couldn’t help but smile at the scene. She also couldn’t help the twinge in her chest, thinking of Mina’s laugh that she missed so much. She broke out of her thoughts when Momo clasped her shoulder to lead her into the restaurant.

It wasn’t as busy as she had thought and she’s glad for that. It’s a quaint little place, a typical hole in the wall with not a lot of tables and chairs. But the atmosphere is cozy and comfortable; as if she’s at someone’s house having lunch. There’s a tiny old lady by the service window and when she saw them, she immediately walked out to the front and greeted them. It seemed that they’re familiar with each other as the lady led them to the table located at the back corner of the place. They settled in their seats and read the menu provided.

“What’s good here?” Dahyun asked.

“Everything to be honest,” Momo answered. “But you should try their sundubu jjigae. That’s what got me hooked in the first place.”

Dahyun took a second to think about it and nodded her agreement. “Yeah, I could go for that and a kimchi fried rice.” She felt like she was being watched and when she glanced to her left Sana was looking at her and Momo, smiling.

They ordered and soon settled into a comfortable conversation. The topics mostly range from work to hobbies to travel and so on. Until Sana asked about her plan to move.

“I’m a bit shocked actually that you want to move so far away. You really love the place that much?” Sana asked, helping Momo break her chicken into two with the chopstick.

Dahyun scratched her neck, a bit nervous to answer. “I really do, but that isn’t the only reason why I wanted to move.” They looked at her to further explain. “I have someone waiting for me there.” It took a second for them to understand, realization clear in their faces.

Sana smiled at her gently, “who’s the lucky girl?”

Dahyun didn’t know why but the question made her feel so relieved that her shoulders sagged. “Her name is Mina. I stayed at her place during my first vacation there and we, uh, sort of fell in love.” She shrugged.

“Sort of?” Momo asked with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile.

“Well, maybe not sort of.” She grinned shyly. “We’ve been together for 2 years now. Just went back there to see her for like 2 weeks.”

They cooed her and Dahyun couldn’t help but feel shy to the point that she tried to hide using her hair. “Stoooop,” she whined.

“Sorry, it’s too easy to tease you,” Momo said apologetically. Despite them only meeting just now, she felt comfortable enough to be teased by Momo.

“I’m happy for you Dahyun,” Sana said while smiling at her sweetly. Even though she said it with a light tone to it, Dahyun could feel the weight behind her words.

“Thank you, Sana.” She said, mustering all her gratefulness behind those words. Momo seemed to catch on to their mood and just smile at them, not saying anything.

They continued eating in comfortable silence and when it’s time to go they bid Momo farewell as they went their separate ways. When they arrived back at the office, they immediately started working until it was time to go home.

For the next few days, they worked together to make sure the documents were airtight and secured with no loopholes to be exploited. Sana meticulously prepared everything for the upcoming meeting with the company. When the day arrived, they walked together into the building side by side, ready for anything that comes their way.

They were led into one of the meeting rooms and when they entered there were several people seated waiting for them. They greeted the people and prepared the documents that they had brought. Dahyun sat right beside Sana, facing the others opposite of them.

A man, presumably the company’s lawyer spoke, “Shall we start?”

Dahyun took a deep breath and nodded.

_I’ll wait for you, I love you._

For Mina.

The meeting finished after 2 hours of negotiating and discussion. They got out of there not unscathed, but Dahyun got what she wanted. They agreed to the proposition and so, her contract was renewed with her being able to work in the comfort of her own home— _new home_. But in exchange, Dahyun had to comply with most of their demands. Meaning, if they want her to attend a Gala or award show, she must go. They also extended her contract to 3 more years, but this one didn’t really bother her.

When she stepped out the door, she felt immense relief. Her legs felt like jelly as she walked. Days of skipping sleep had finally caught up to her as she felt the tiredness sink deep in her bones, settling in every nook and cranny of her existence. Sana noticed her condition, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Let me drive you home, okay?”

Dahyun contemplated for a second, but then she agreed because she didn’t think she wanted to walk and ride the train like this. The ride was silent, broken when Sana hummed to the pop songs played on the radio. She pressed her forehead against the window, watching the lights swirl and merge together. She didn’t realize when she had fallen asleep until Sana nudged her awake, her apartment came into view as she opened her eyes.

“We’re here Dahyun.”

“Right. Thank you, Sana.” She stretched to wake herself up.

“No problem, Dahyun. Have a nice night.”

She reached the handle but stopped halfway. She turned around to face Sana. “I really mean it Sana. Thank you, for everything.” The girl looked stunned by the declaration and Dahyun pushed through. “I really am grateful that you still wanted to help me, despite what I said to you the last time we met.”

“That’s because I want to Dahyun. Back then I understand why you said it and I didn’t feel offended by it, besides,” she paused. “What you’re doing here is pretty admirable Dahyun. I hope I could be as determined as you.”

“You already are.”

Sana smiled, “Is that all?”

“Yeah. I’ll see you around?”

“Sure Dahyun,” she chuckled.

When she walked up to her apartment, she could feel the spring in her every step. The tiredness she felt in the car went away, replaced by a rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. Everything was falling into place, going the way she wanted it to. She took off her coat then proceeded to walk down her dark hallway into her studio. Sitting in front of her piano, she resumed back where she left off, this time her shoulders were a lot lighter.

* * *

The last part of the wedding preparation needed to be done at the venue itself. They had finished the things that needed to be done in Korea, such as dress fittings, rings, and so on. Dahyun accompanied the couple through all of that, feeling her heart swell at how happy her friends were. The dress fitting was the most emotional of it all. She couldn’t help but cry at how beautiful her friends look, thinking of how far they’ve come together. Safe to say they cried in the shop together.

The three of them arrived 4 days earlier so that they won’t have to rush on the wedding day. Most of the heavy preparation such as venue, accommodation, and documents were already done by the wedding planner. Since they’re doing it at a hotel, they booked a section of it for the guests on the day itself. It’ll be a very intimate wedding of 30 people because the couple just needed to be surrounded by the people they love. But, before that day comes, they’ll be staying at Mina’s house for the next 4 days.

They arrived at the Santorini airport around noon after a grueling 12 hours flight. Dahyun looked out through the window and smiled at the familiar view of the island. Excitement was coursing through her veins at the prospect of seeing Mina in person. After they got the bags, Dahyun led her friends to the parking lot.

“Slow down dude, you’re running,” Chaeyoung called out for her.

Dahyun stopped in her tracks, looking back at them sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t mind her unnie, you should be excited,” Tzuyu came bounding, patting her head with a gentle smile on her face.

Chaeyoung pouted, “I was just teasing.”

“I know.” Tzuyu kissed her pout away.

When they reached the parking lot, she looked around in search of her girlfriend. She spotted a blonde woman waving at them from across the lot. She could feel her heart beating wildly in her chest at the sight of her.

“Go Dahyun.” Chaeyoung pushed her.

She took off immediately, feeling the breeze whizzed through her face with how fast she was running. She could see Mina running towards her too, her smile as bright as the sun they’re under. They met in the middle, Dahyun clinging on for dear life. She laughed when Mina picked her up and spun them around. When her feet are back on the ground, she kisses her, pouring every bit of feeling into it, pent up from all the time they were away from one another. Mina kissed back just as hard, feeling the same way. When she pulled back, she buried her face in Mina’s neck, breathing in the scent of home that she missed so much, the saltiness of the sea, jasmine, and paint.

“Hi Mina,” Chaeyoung greeted. Tzuyu waved at the back, smiling wide.

“Hello, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. Welcome,” Mina greeted back cheerfully.

Dahyun pulled back, giggling, “sorry guys.” She felt so euphoric to finally be able to hug Mina properly again.

Chaeyoung waved her hand. “Quit apologizing dude. We get it.”

Dahyun lets Mina go, so she can hug Chaeyoung and Tzuyu. They quickly put the bags in the car trunk and piled up in the tiny car towards their next destination. Mina drove them to Jeongyeon and Nayeon’s restaurant for some lunch. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu already met them before when they vacationed here, so it was a pretty lively reunion for the group. They got along like a house on fire when they first met, as Dahyun had predicted.

After lunch they head straight towards the house, wanting to rest after a very exhausting flight. The couple’s room was Dahyun’s old room when she first stayed there. They settled in nicely and in a blink of an eye, 4 days had passed.

It was already the night before the wedding and in a few hours, the couple will leave the house to their hotel so that it’ll be easier for them to get ready. They’re at Jeongyeon’s restaurant, having a party before the big day itself, calling it a ‘bachelorette’ party. It was in full swing, filled with friends and families that flew in that day. Dahyun stood by the side, sipping her wine as she observed the scene.

Everyone looked to be having fun dancing, eating, and drinking the night away. She could see Chaeyoung and Tzuyu giggling with one another as they danced to upbeat music, enjoying each other’s company before they had to be separated for the night. Jeongyeon was handling the bar, putting on a performance as she mixed drinks for the guests. Nayeon and Jihyo sat in the corner having a lively conversation and Dahyun knew that they’re having a great time with each other. Mina was having a conversation with Dio about tomorrow because he will be sponsoring the wedding with his wines.

She turned around and looked at the ocean, the view breathtaking from this roof. Swirling her wine, she tried to memorize her speech for tomorrow, hoping that she wouldn’t forget the important parts. She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder, and it was Chaeyoung standing by her side.

“Having fun?” Dahyun asked.

Chaeyoung hummed. “Yeah. But the after-party would be better.”

“You and Tzuyu are going to be separated for the night and that’s better? Son Chaeyoung what is going on here?” She teased.

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes fondly, leaning towards Dahyun to whisper in her ear. “She’s gonna sneak into my room and give me a little _lap dance_.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Dahyun hissed, jerking her head away from Chaeyoung. “I. Don’t. Need. To. Know. That.” She emphasized each word with a hit on her friend’s shoulder.

Chaeyoung just laughed it off. “But seriously keep it a secret, yeah?”

“I’ve yeeted it out of my head so you’re safe.” Dahyun deadpanned. “Why aren’t you with Tzuyu?”

“Don’t like hanging out with your own best friend?”

“You’re so.”

Chaeyoung pats her head, grinning. “Kidding bro. I’m just here to ask if you’re good.”

Dahyun smacked her hand away when she started messing with her hair. “Why wouldn’t I be.”

She retracted her hand, leaning on the rail, looking towards the ocean. Her tone turned serious. “Don’t know.” It was a couple of minutes before she continued as if she’s having a hard time explaining. “It just feels like we’re going to start a new era or something tomorrow.” Her shoulders sagged. “It’s kinda scary.”

Dahyun looked at Chaeyoung, the face that she watched grew up alongside her, her best friend that she loves and had never left her side since the beginning. “It does.” She pulled Chaeyoung to her by the shoulder. “And we are starting a new _something_ tomorrow. But… it’ll be okay.”

“Yeah?” Chaeyoung smiled.

“Yeah.” She turned Chaeyoung around and hugged her. “You’ll be fine. You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, Chaengie.”

“Thank you, Hyun,” Chaeyoung murmured.

She lets go, smirking at the sight of her friend that was trying not to cry. “Now chin up, bro. You’re marrying the most beautiful woman in the world tomorrow.”

Chaeyoung lets out a watery chuckle, “I’m so lucky, bro. She’ll even give me a lap dance.”

“I just yeeted that out of my head you ass,” Dahyun groaned, hitting her friend again. Suddenly a tall figure came up behind them.

“Stop hitting my soon-to-be wife unnie.”

“If she could stop being gross for a sec—”

“Oh, so you’re saying my soon-to-be wife is gross?” Chaeyoung playfully yelled, hugging Tzuyu and giving her the stink eye.

“Lord help me.”

Tzuyu laughed at their antics, patting Chaeyoung’s head. “We have to go now.”

When she looked around, she realized the crowd was dispersing. She checked her watch and was surprised that it was already 1 o’clock. “Oh shoot. Yeah, you guys have to go.”

Dahyun ushered the couple out, then she turned in search of her girlfriend so that they could go home. _Home,_ she loves how easy it was to think of Mina’s home as hers too. She spotted her girlfriend chatting with Nayeon at the bar. She snuck behind and hugged her torso, nuzzling into her shoulder.

“I think someone wants to go home,” Nayeon teased.

She felt her face flushed but ignored it in favor of snuggling deeper into Mina. She could feel Mina’s hand patting her hair and the other one gripping her hand.

“I guess it’s time to go. You sure you don’t need help?”

Nayeon shook her head. “We’re used to this, it’s okay.”

Mina tapped her hand twice and Dahyun lets go. “We’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Sure. Good night you guys.”

They said good night to Jeongyeon and in a matter of minutes, they’re in the car, on the way back. Santorini at night is a contrast to daytime. It’s dark and chilly, illuminated only by the streetlights and the moon. The calming atmosphere had her feeling sleepy, until Mina put her hand on her thigh, her finger drawing circles. Her eyes snapped open and stayed open for the rest of the journey, feeling something slowly build up in the pit of her stomach.

When they reached home, it was dark, but they didn't feel like turning on the light. They walked hand in hand, Dahyun leading them upstairs to the bedroom. When the door closed, Mina pushed her against it, kissing her so deeply as her hands roamed down Dahyun’s body.

Dahyun pushed her on the shoulder to get some air but was cut off when Mina latched on her neck. “Miss me?” She teased then gasped when Mina groped her ass.

“I finally have some alone time with you,” Mina murmured, pulling back to look at her in the eyes. “I’m going to cherish every second of it.”

She cupped Mina’s face, rubbing her cheeks with her thumb. “Then do it. Have all of me.”

With a strength she didn’t know Mina had; she was carried to the bed. When she’s on it, Mina turned her around so she could get to the zipper. She slowly pulled it down, kissing every inch of skin that was exposed, earning tiny gasps from Dahyun. She pulled the dress off and coaxed Dahyun to turn back around, eyes roaming at the body before her.

“You’re so beautiful,” Mina murmured, a finger trailing from Dahyun’s sternum down and down until she reached her hip. Then her lips followed the same path, leaving marks in her wake. “My heart belongs to you.” She bit the area where Dahyun’s heart is supposed to be, soothing it with a kiss as she unclasped her bra.

Dahyun was struggling to breathe. When Mina sucked on her nipple, she jolted and fell back, her elbows not being able to support her. She huffed when she heard Mina’s low giggle but moaned when Mina kissed her hipbones, sucking in the skin, marking her. Her hand tangled in Mina’s hair, pushing her to get to where she wanted her to be.

Mina complied, nosing her mound. “Let me take my time with you darling,” she breathed out, holding Dahyun’s hand that was in her hair and pushed it down to the side. She changed her position so she’s resting on her heels, taking off the last article of clothing on Dahyun’s body. “God, I missed you Dahyun,” Mina whispered, looking Dahyun in the eyes.

Dahyun felt her heart throb. The heat in her belly was still coiling, but the need for her to embrace Mina was even stronger. She opened her arms and Mina charged forward, colliding their lips together in a heated kiss. She could feel every emotion poured into the kiss, leaving her breathless and panting, but she still wanted more. She helped Mina take off her clothes, almost ripping it off with how desperate she was to feel Mina’s skin against her own.

When the last article of Mina’s clothing was ripped off her body, they both sighed at how good it felt. Warmth spread through her body, now that she could feel Mina’s skin on hers. It was the most exhilarating feeling. She gasped when Mina started nipping her at her neck, going down the same path that she was on before, but this time she did not stop.

It was a couple of hours when they’re finally sated. The breeze from outside cooled down their overheated skin. Mina laid on top of her, head on her chest as she listened to her heartbeat. Dahyun held her tight in her arms, her fingers grazing over the marks she left on Mina’s back.

“Sorry.”

Mina chuckled, “Don’t be. I love it.” She kissed her collarbone. “It’s a reminder of you.”

The statement made her heart swell, ready to burst at any moment. She carded her fingers through Mina’s hair, overwhelmed by the need to tell her the surprise. She tried to divert the mood. “It’s already 3 am.”

Mina hummed, moving around so that she’s lying on Dahyun’s pillow instead, face to face with her. “I’m sorry, did I tire you out?” She teased.

Dahyun huffed, “Uhm actually, I’m still fine. It’s just we have a wedding tomorrow is all.”

Mina sighed, cuddling closer. “I can’t help myself. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I love it.” She threw back the words that Mina said moments earlier. “I miss you so much too, I don’t think I could stand being away from you any longer,” she murmured. Eyes getting heavy because Mina’s fingers were carding through her hair.

“Dahyun.”

Dahyun hummed, already on her way to slumber.

“I love you,” Mina whispered into the emptiness between them.

She broke into a dopey smile, “I love you too,” and fell asleep.

The next morning Dahyun managed to wake up on time, with Mina’s help, of course. She got ready with casual clothes because her outfit was already at the venue. It took them about 20 minutes to reach the place and when they arrived Dahyun couldn’t help but feel awestruck at how beautiful it was.

She’s in the car, but she could already see from the distance the white cube-shaped buildings perched on the hills of Imerovigli. It’s one of those hotels where instead of a tall building, the suite is built individually, cascading down on the side of the cliff, overlooking the caldera. Dahyun was in awe because she had never seen anything like this. Especially when the light from the rising sun made it look even more magical than it already is. It’s like a whole kingdom on a cliff.

They parked the car and made their way down towards the hotel. They walked on a narrow cobblestone road; the view breathtaking especially with how the light reflected the ocean, making it look shimmery. They pass many hotels to get to theirs, enjoying the walk along the cliffside pathway to get there. It took them 10 minutes to reach it and when they arrived, they saw a familiar face sitting on the couch in the reception area.

“Jeongyeon,” Mina called for the girl.

Jeongyeon turned around and waved at them. “Morning.” She got up to hug them both, eyeing them, “you guys are early.”

“Cause I’m the Best Woman,” Dahyun boasted.

Jeongyeon pouted, “should’ve been me in my opinion.”

Dahyun just rolled her eyes and almost shrieked when Jeongyeon ruffled her hair.

“Just kidding, buddy.”

Dahyun smacked her hand away with a look of disdain. She scanned around the place. “This place is beautiful.” She looked out the terrace and saw chairs and archway being set up on the terrace below them. “That’s gonna be one hell of a view.”

“I like the color theme,” Mina remarked, looking at the same thing as her.

The arch was fully decorated in flowers. It’s an assortment of purple colored flowers ranging from lavender to lilacs, the gradient from deep purple to pastel made it look gentle but radiant. They watched one of the crew hang a mistletoe on the top middle of it, letting it dangle there.

“Mistletoe?” Mina asked, confused.

Dahyun hummed. “They confessed and had their first kiss under a mistletoe.”

“Awww,” Jeongyeon cooed.

“It was cute as hell. I was the one that pushed Chaeyoung to stand under there.” Dahyun smugly said, remembering how flustered both girls were when they realized there was mistletoe above them.

Mina giggled and kissed her on the cheek. “My little cupid.”

Dahyun spluttered and blushed. Jeongyeon cackled by their side. After a few minutes watching the crew rearranging the chairs, they were startled by Nayeon calling for them. Since they’re a part of the wedding, the hotel had provided them breakfast and Nayeon ushered them to eat. Dahyun took one last look at the scenery before she followed them to get breakfast.

It was a whirlwind after breakfast, for the brides at least. Mina went back home to change and get ready. Dahyun stayed with Chaeyoung, seeing that she’s essential. She’s already in her dark purple suit, hair tied in a ponytail, watching Chaeyoung put on some last finishing touches. After she finished with makeup, it was time to put on the suit.

“Someone’s nervous,” Dahyun remarked, seeing Chaeyoung’s hand visibly shaking while unsuccessfully buttoning up her shirt. She got up and helped button it.

“Yeah, marrying your soulmate can do that to you.”

“Understandable. It’s not like I’ve never been through this before.”

Chaeyoung looked at her with a frown. “Dude.”

“I’m trying to be relatable.” Dahyun grinned. “And help you calm down a bit.” She heard her friend sigh.

“Glad you can joke around about it.”

“It’s in the past and I’ve made peace with it.” She could see that Chaeyoung was still struggling to calm down, so she held her friend’s hand, rubbing her thumb in circles. That seemed to stop the trembling. “Did you memorize your vows?”

Chaeyoung hummed. “I did. But you bet your ass I’m gonna forget halfway through it.”

Dahyun shook her head, grinning. “Just spit out your feelings. Aren’t you a poet?”

“My muse is Aphrodite in human form, of course, I’ll be nervous as hell.”

That made Dahyun chortle and it triggered Chaeyoung to laugh too. She reached for the tie, helping in tying the knot because she knew her friend was clueless on how to do it.

“God, Dahyun. I’m actually getting married.” Chaeyoung said, still astonished. “I’m marrying Tzuyu and spending the rest of my life with her.” She sucked in a breath, staving off the tears that were threatening to fall. “I never thought she would accept the proposal, you know?” She chuckled, watery.

Dahyun frowned, stopping her movement. “What’re you talking about. Of course, she’ll accept it.” She reached for a tissue on the table, dabbing Chaeyoung’s eyes to help ease the tears. “you guys already act like a married couple. This is just officially declaring it. Like changing the relationship status on Facebook from couple to married.”

Chaeyoung barked out a laugh. “ _Facebook?_ ”

“I know it’s more than _that_. I’m pulling examples out of my ass here cause I’m trying to stop you from crying.”

“It’s working.”

“Thank God for that or that lady from before would’ve whooped me.” Dahyun clasped her shoulders, squeezing it. “She loves you Chaeyoung. That’s why she accepted the proposal. That’s why you’re here, getting ready for the biggest day of your life. You guys being here is proof of that.”

“Bro, you’re gonna make me cry.”

“Cry later.” She continued fixing the tie. “No doubt after this.”

Chaeyoung sighed, “no doubt.”

The processional was already starting, and guests were filling the chairs. It’s a beautiful day, bright and gleaming, perfect for an outdoor wedding. She’s already at the altar, standing beside Chaeyoung who was wearing a lilac-colored suit. She made eye contact with Mina that was sitting in front and winked at her. Mina just smiled back.

When the music started playing, everyone turned around, looking at the bride. Chaeyoung lets out a gasp when she finally sees her. Tzuyu walked down the aisle holding her father’s arm, wearing a lilac-colored lace dress that hugged around her waist and flowed down with a train behind her. She looked like a goddess. When she nears the altar, she lets go of her father’s arm to give him a kiss on the cheek. She goes to stand beside Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung was holding back tears at how gorgeous her soon-to-be wife is, her _soulmate._ “Hi,” she croaked out. “You look gorgeous.”

“And you look stunning,” Tzuyu whispered.

The officiant cleared her throat. “Ready?” She asked quietly. They both nodded.

Everything was a blur until they reached the crucial part of the ceremony, the exchanging of vows. Chaeyoung went first, clasping Tzuyu’s hands with hers, looking up into her eyes. “I, uh,” she stuttered, letting out a nervous chuckle. “Wow, you’re so beautiful you made me speechless.”

Everyone laughed until Chaeyoung cleared her throat. “Chou Tzuyu, my love, my soulmate. When I first saw you at the park near my house playing with a puppy, I was awestruck. I was convinced that you were a real-life Angel sent on earth to pat all the dogs that you could find. So, I’ve accepted that that would be the last time I’ll see you, but there you were, in my class sitting next to my seat. Deep down I hoped that the reason why is because we were fated to be,” she paused, wiping a lone tear on Tzuyu’s cheek, “and we are.” She took in a deep breath before continuing. “I feel so grateful that I was given the chance in this life to meet you and experience all of this with you. I love you and I will continue to love you till my last breath. This is my vow to you.”

Tzuyu’s lip wobbled. She looked up to the sky, fanning her face so as to not let the tears fall. She took a deep breath and squeezed Chaeyoung’s hands, intertwining their fingers together. “Son Chaeyoung, the love of my life, my compass. You were always the most poetic between the two of us. But I hope today I could try to be as creative as that,” She said lovingly. “You’re my compass because I know that in every direction of my life it would always lead to you and I can be sure even in our next life that I’ll always find you, my north, my Polaris in the night sky. I can’t imagine my life without you, without that radiant soul of yours and I’m extremely fortunate that it intertwines with mine. I love you so, so much because without you I wouldn’t be the woman that I am today and I vow to you, I will love you with everything I have and even more.”

By then everyone was teary-eyed, including Dahyun.

“And now for the exchanging of rings,” the officiant announced.

Dahyun passed the ring to Chaeyoung, while Elkie passed the ring to Tzuyu.

Chaeyoung slipped it on Tzuyu first, and Tzuyu followed suit.

“Do you, Chaeyoung, promise to love Tzuyu freely – without restrictions; honestly – without deceit; now – without hesitation and promise to accept her just as she is, sharing with her and supporting her through the experiences of your lives, be they easy or difficult, happy or sad, challenging or mundane, till death do you part?”

“I do.” Chaeyoung declared with conviction.

“Do you, Tzuyu, promise to love Chaeyoung freely – without restrictions; honestly – without deceit; now – without hesitation and promise to accept her just as she is, sharing with her and supporting her through the experiences of your lives, be they easy or difficult, happy or sad, challenging or mundane, till death do you part?”

“I do,” Tzuyu answered without hesitation.

“With the sense of incomparable joy that you have found emotional sanctuary for your heart, that you have discovered your life’s true love, I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss.”

Chaeyoung cupped Tzuyu’s face, pulling her down and kissed her with all the love she could muster. Tzuyu reciprocated, crying happily into the kiss. They walked down the aisle hand in hand, covered in the petals thrown by the guests.

When evening fell, the venue was completely changed to a different setting. Tables were prepared for the dinner portion of the wedding. The venue was decorated with lanterns and fairy lights, illuminating the area with a soft amber hue. The tables were slowly filled with guests and in no time, it was buzzing with excitement. They had a cocktail session before, so everyone was in good spirits, enjoying the company of others.

After the grand entrance, Dahyun sat at one of the tables with Mina, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, and Jihyo. The newlyweds were preparing for their first dance and Dahyun was nervously waiting for her cue to get in position. She was bouncing her feet, fingers rhythmically tapping the table. She almost missed Nayeon asking her a question, if not for Mina’s hand gently gripping her thigh from moving.

“Hm?”

“You okay Dahyun?”

She opened and closed her mouth a couple of times and only managed to utter one word, “nervous.”

“She’s gonna give her speech later, of course, she’s nervous,” Jeongyeon interjected, pulling her wife to cuddle closer to her. Nayeon smacked her hand away, giggling shyly.

Jihyo squinted at the couple then turned her attention to Dahyun. “You memorized it, didn’t you?”

Dahyun sighed, “I did. But that’s not the only thing I’m nervous about.” She leaned against Mina, resting her head on the girl’s shoulder. Mina gave her a peck on the head and caressed her thigh. After 10 minutes of waiting, the newlyweds were ready for their dance and the wedding planner came up to her. Everyone at the table watched her curiously except for Mina who gave her a flying kiss. Dahyun sneakily went to the side, getting ready by the piano. She watched her friends walk towards the middle, completely missing her and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Ladies and gentlemen now we will invite our newlyweds for their first dance.” The DJ announced. “The song for their first dance will be played by their dearest friend, Kim Dahyun.”

[🎶🎶🎶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDHnaD7BJDU)

When Chaeyoung whipped her head towards her, Dahyun gave a tiny wave. She raised her eyebrows, asking if they were ready and Chayeoung nodded back. So, she started playing. It’s a song that’s incredibly special to them and she felt that it’s appropriate to play for their first dance as wives. She changed it so it’ll suit the occasion.

The couple swayed side to side, Chaeyoung’s head pressed against Tzuyu’s shoulder and Tzuyu’s head resting on top of hers. It looked magical, especially with the way Tzuyu’s dress shimmered in the orange hue of the fairy lights. When the song came to an end, Chaeyoung tiptoed and kissed Tzuyu fully on the lips as people clapped and cheered for them.

Dahyun got up from her seat to get back to her place and was immediately sandwiched by her friends. She hugged them back tightly, feeling the love radiating from them.

“Thank you,” both murmured.

Dahyun smiled wide, squeezing them to her. “Anything for you guys.” They let her go and walked to their seat at the head of the table. Dahyun went back to her seat next to Mina and the others at the table immediately praised her.

“That was amazing Dahyun,” Jeongyeon exclaimed.

“This is why you’re my favorite,” Nayeon proudly boasted, looking at her in awe.

Dahyun ducked her head to hide the blush that was surely visible on her face, Mina’s twinkling laughter didn’t help cool it down. Luckily, she was saved from further praises when the DJ announced that dinner would be served. The topic changed to what dinner entailed. Her shoulders sagged in relief.

Mina leaned into her ear, whispering, “you did great, Dahyun. That was beautiful.”

Dahyun turned her head and kissed Mina on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Can’t wait for the next one.” Mina winked.

When dinner was being served, Dahyun could feel her stomach churn, not from hunger, but from the nerves of having to give a speech. Mina seemed to sense this and held her hand under the table, rubbing her thumb in a circular motion. It calmed her a little, but when she saw microphones being passed around to guests that would give a speech; her stomach fluttered tenfold.

She watched as the guests gave their speech, clapping along when they finished. When it was her turn, she took a deep breath and grabbed the mic. Mina lets her hand go when she stood. She hoped they could’ve stayed intertwined, but that would be impossible. She cleared her throat, tapping the mic a bit to see if it’s working. She turned her attention towards her friends at the head table, instead of the guests whose eyes were glued to her.

“Hello and good evening everyone.”

“Hi, Dahyun!” Chaeyoung hollered, helping to ease her anxiety a bit.

She shook her head, smiling. “For those that might not know me, my name is Kim Dahyun, I am Chaeyoung’s Best woman, platonic soulmate, as well as the famous best friend she mooched off from.”

“Hey!” Chaeyoung interjected and the crowd laughed.

“Joking, bro.” Dahyun winked. “Now, I first met Chaeyoung when we were in high school decades ago. It’s not one of those typical friends at first sight kind of deals. We were, for the lack of better words, enemies when we first met.” She whispered into the mic as if telling a secret, “because she was a very rebellious kid back then, but you didn’t hear that from me.” The crowd chuckled. “But I got to know her and somehow that enemy became one of the most important people in my life.” She walked to the middle of the floor, “I can talk all day about her, but I’ll tell you the most important thing about her. Chaeyoung is the most selfless person I have ever met. The kind of person that would weather the storm just to make sure that _you’re_ okay and I’m glad that she met someone that would do the same for her too.” She smiled at Tzuyu.

By then, she was standing next to the piano. “I’ve followed their journey from start to now and I have witnessed how their love bloomed.” She sat down at the piano bench. “So, I made a piece dedicated to them and only them because no words could express how wonderful they are as individuals as well as a couple.” She looked at Chaeyoung, smiling when she saw her lips wobbling, on the verge of crying. “This is my real surprise for you guys.” She turned off the mic and got ready. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and started playing.

[🎶🎶🎶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNF44Kc_ZE4)

She created this piece with the thought of their journey of love. The highs and lows of it all condensed into one composition. When she finished, everyone gave a standing ovation. She stood up, breathless as she smiled at everyone. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were beaming at her, looking proud and thankful. She picked up the mic. “I want to thank the newlyweds for including us in their special day and it is an honor to be able to deliver this speech. Let’s raise our glass to the happy couple.”

The dinner continued smoothly after her speech. They’ve reached the end of the reception and everyone was just having a good time dancing and drinking with one another. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu immediately approached her when they were free from responsibility.

“That was so fucking beautiful, Hyun,” Chaeyoung praised her.

“How long did that take you to create?” Tzuyu asked.

“6 months or so.”

They both looked at her in shock. “You spent 6 months of your time creating a masterpiece for _us?_ " Chaeyoung asked in disbelief.

Dahyun looked at her confused. “You guys are important to me. Of course, I’ll do something like this.”

There was silence for a moment. “Maybe we should marry you too,” Tzuyu exclaimed.

Chaeyoung nodded along and Dahyun felt lost as to how they came to that conclusion. Suddenly an arm was wrapped around her waist, Mina’s jasmine perfume invading her senses.

“Sorry ladies, she’s taken,” Mina said airily.

Chaeyoung barked out a laugh while Tzuyu giggled away. Dahyun was still at a loss but at least she’s in Mina’s arms where she wanted to be.

“We’re just joking Mina.”

“I know, I felt like that would be a comical way to enter a conversation.”

They talked a bit more, drinking and mingled around until the crowd began to dwindle. When it was only the wedding party left and the crew, Dahyun thought it would be a good time for them to leave. She found Chaeyoung and approached her.

“Hey, Chaengie.” She clasped Chaeyoung’s shoulder. “I think it’s time we head off back home.”

Chaeyoung turned around and suddenly pulled her in for a hug, surprising her. She hugged back, relishing in the warmth. “You’re so amazing, Hyun.”

She felt her heart stuttered. The sincerity in those words overwhelmed her. “You’re amazing too Chaengie. What’s this all about? Trying to make me cry?” She sniffled. “It’s working.”

“Thank you for being my friend and for being here.”

“Oh, you’re really bringing out the big guns,” she murmured.

Chaeyoung chuckled, patting her back. “You’re telling her, tonight right?”

“Yeah, I am.”

Chaeyoung leaned back, looking at Dahyun straight in the eyes. “May you reach that happiness, Hyun. You deserve it the most out of all of us.”

Her breath hitched. The statement startled her so much that she didn’t realize tears were running down her cheeks. Chaeyoung wiped it with her thumb, smiling gently at her.

“Chaengie…”

“It’s time for you to go home, Dahyun.”

She clenched her jaw, letting out a shaky breath as the words sunk in. “I’ll visit you every chance I have.”

“I know. We’re soulmates, aren’t we?”

She nodded vigorously. “I’ll see you later?”

“Bet.”

She laughed and hugged her again.

* * *

The way back was quiet. The ambiance was calm and soothing. Dahyun was anything but. She was charged and excited because there’s one last thing that she needed to do when they reach home. As soon as they arrived Dahyun immediately pulled Mina into the house. The latter watched her, amused by her hastiness.

“Someone’s eager.”

Dahyun hummed, not focusing. She went straight to the room with the piano and pulled Mina in while walking backward towards it. “I have another surprise, for you.”

Mina seemed to catch onto what the surprise might be, as she looked at Dahyun with wide eyes. “Dahyun.”

“Sit with me.”

They sat next to each other, shoulder to shoulder on the piano bench. “Is this what I think it is?”

“Mmhmm. I made something.” She held Mina’s hand, squeezing it. “It’s like a journey of us and everything that I feel for you.” She lets go, readying herself on the keys. “Do you wanna hear it?”

“Yes,” Mina said softly.

[🎶🎶🎶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tb09SOhgpM)

She closed her eyes and started playing, not missing a beat, letting her hands move on its own accord because she knew the notes like the back of her hand. With every press of the key, she remembered back the moments that signified them. These moments that she shared with Mina, the good, the bad, and everything in between. But most especially the love that she has for her and will continue to grow until her last breath.

When she pressed the last key, she looked towards Mina, startled that the girl was crying. “Mina,” she breathed out, hesitant to touch her until Mina herself leaned forward to hug her. “What’s wrong? Was it not okay?”

“I l-love it. I love you so much Dahyun,” Mina sobbed into her shoulder.

“I love you too.”

It took Mina a few moments to calm herself down. Dahyun rubbed her back soothingly, whispering to her how much she loves her.

“It’s going to be hard now,” Mina murmured. Dahyun made a confused humming noise. “Letting you go when it’s time.”

Dahyun breathes in deep and lets it out slowly. “I’m staying.”

Mina pushed herself back, bewildered. “What do you mean?”

“Mina, I’m going to stay here. The other day about the problem with work, it was about this.”

“Did you quit?” Mina asked incredulously.

Dahyun shook her head, pressing her forehead against Mina’s. “They’re letting me work remotely. I can stay here, with you.”

Mina inhaled sharply, hands trembling as she gripped Dahyun’s hands. “You’re really staying.”

“I promised, didn’t I? And I think it’s time for me to come home.”

Mina leaned forward and kissed her with ferocity as if she’s trying to see if this is real. That this is not one of her dreams that had always left her breathless because of how impossible it seemed. Dahyun kissed back as passionately, trying to reassure her that this is real, that she’s staying for as long as she lives.

They end up in the bedroom, Dahyun on her back and Mina by her side, drawing patterns on her stomach. It was the most peaceful she had ever felt, feeling like she had reached nirvana. She grabbed Mina’s hand, kissing every tip of her fingers, and then intertwined them. She scooted down to lay on her side, facing Mina. She reached out and brushed away the strand of hairs that was obscuring her face, then she traced down to every mole that she could see.

She had an overwhelming feeling of love in her chest, threatening to spill out, but words seemed to fail her. So, she settled with the word that encompassed her whole being. “Mina, Mina, Mina, Mina,” she whispered her name reverently as if the words were holy.

“Dahyun,” Mina answered back, scooting closer until their breath mingled. Until they’re entangled so tightly with one another. Until their heartbeat synced into one.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You've made it to the end and for that I applaud you. Thank you for staying with me from start to finish. I hope you guys enjoyed the story as much as I enjoyed writing it and I absolutely loved it. It was supposed to be a oneshot but when it reached 20k words I thought, let's multi-chapter it. This story's purpose is to be a lighthearted, soft, and happy sort of thing and I hope that's what you guys felt reading it. Stay safe and see you guys in the next one 😌

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. I'll try to update it every week, keyword: try because I'll be heavily editing it. 
> 
> I wanna thank bunnie because they're the catalyst for me to start writing again and for introducing me to mihyun. So this fic is like a dedicated piece for them. I wanna thank (ง'̀-'́)ง, for being my rock. And I wanna thank auge, for having confidence in me. 
> 
> See ya'll in the next chapter :) my twt is @anothingqueer


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